Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party was the big winner in this year’s European Elections in the East of England – taking three of the seven seats up for grabs.

But it was also a big night for the Liberal Democrats who took two, and for The Green Party which won its first ever seat in the region.

The Conservatives hung on to the last seat - but Labour's Alex Mayer lost out as the party failed to get enough votes to take a seat under the proportional representation system.

The Brexit Party will be sending Richard Tice, Michael Heaver and June Mummery to Brussels and Strasbourg from this region. The Liberal Democrat MEPs are Barbara Gibson and Lucy Nethsinga. Dr Catherine Rowett won for The Green Party and Geoffrey Van Orden retained one seat for the Conservatives.

The turnout was 36.4%, fractionally down from 36.6% in 2014 - but it was noticeably higher in Remain-voting districts in the west of the region.

Lowestoft fish merchant June Mummery was one of the successful Brexit Party candidates and promised to take the battle for the region's fisheries to Brussels.

She said: "We will get over to Brussels as soon as we can to get on with getting us out of Europe and getting our fishing grounds back from Europe."

While UEA Professor Dr Rowett said she was looking forward to being part of a large Green group from across the continent in the European Parliament.

"I'm hoping to go over on Wednesday, I think I can go by train and get back the same day because I've got some exams to sort out on Thursday! But this is a great day for us and very important - we have won seats in places we have never done that well before!"

And Lucy Nethsingha for the Liberal Democrats was determined to take the Remain message to Europe: "We are going to Brussels to fight Brexit and to remain in the EU, the tide is turning as these elections show," she said.