Sweeping Conservative gains in last week's local polls, which saw the party replicate its unexpected success in the general election, securing at least 535 seats and gaining control of 29 councils should not be seen as surprising, experts have claimed.

The dramatic success comes in stark contrast to predictions last week suggesting the Conservatives were set for an electoral drubbing while an insurgent UKIP would more than double its number of councillors from 370 to 750 elected members.

Instead UKIP made more modest gains securing an additional 204 new councillors but did succeed where outgoing party leader Nigel Farage failed by winning its first council South Thanet.