LABOUR may lose its grip on overall control of Newport City Council after losing several seats in yesterday's local authority election.

With a recount due in Caerleon and the result to be verified in Rogerstone - both this afternoon - the Conservatives could end up with as many as 18 seats.

This would mean that, taking other parties' seats into account, even were Labour to win all of the six seats that will be contested in two by-elections in June, they would still fall short of an overall majority.