Thousands of Epsom residents voted for UKIP in the county elections yesterday but the party failed to win any seats in the borough.

The results, declared before midday, two hours earlier than expected, showed the Residents' Association remained the most popular party, holding three seats, West Ewell, Ewell and Ewell Court, Auriol and Cuddington, but losing Epsom Town and Downs to the Tories.

The Lib Dems held on to Epsom West.

But UKIP polled the second higest vote in three of the five seats - West Ewell, Ewell, Ewell Court, Auriol and Cuddington.

Epsom Town and Downs was won by Tina Mountain after a close-fought battle with borough Residents' Association councillor Neil Dallen. 

She campaigned on Zone 6 and against proposed cuts at Epsom Hospital, attracting 1,428 votes compared to Coun Dallen's 1,060.

The UKIP candidate for the seat, where the turnout was 33.3 per cent, won 502 votes, pushing the Lib Dems into fourth place with 423 votes and Labour into fifth with 289.

In Tadworth, Walton and Kingswood Michael Gosling won for the Tories with 53 per cent of the vote, with Robert Leach of UKIP in second place with 32 per cent.