Labour lost control of Oxford City Council for the first time in 20 years and lost a leader too.

The party's poor performance means the council is now hung after the Lib Dems gained five seats. They now match Labour with 21 councillors.

The Greens gained one, taking them to eight, while the Conservatives won their first seat in four years.

Many of Labour's longest-serving councillors were ousted as six crucial wards went. Outspoken Labour leader John Tanner lost to the Greens in a vote which saw the city's biggest turnout.

He said: "I am proud to have served this city for 12 years and as this party's leader for two. Unfortunately, people are blaming Labour for everything at the moment, and that has swung against us on a local level. "I don't think my defeat had anything to do with local issues but it did have a lot to do with Conservatives telling people to vote Green simply to get Labour out of this ward."

Mr Tanner was beaten by Deborah Glass, who now joins her husband and fellow Green Mike Woodin on the council.

She said: "Saying the Conservatives helped us here is rubbish. We won because people are sick of Labour and say it's time for a change."

Corinna Redman. leader of the Lib Dems, said they would be "open to offers" to work with anyone to form a coalition.

The Greens, who now have in Oxford more councillors than anywhere else in the country, refused to comment on a possible pact.

And Labour's only clue came from its deputy leader Maureen Christian, who said: "I would be happy to work with the Greens."

The new lone Tory, Barbara Burgess, said: "I'm thrilled for our party. It shows we're gaining ground again." Elsewhere, Bob Hoyle held on to his Temple Cowley seat after defecting from Labour earlier in the year, and Susanna Pressel hung on to her West ward seat by 179 votes, despite recent criticism about comments she made on asylum-seekers. OXFORD CITY COUNCIL RESULTS

BLACKBIRD LEYS

Patricia Dickson (Green): 97

Alexander Macfie (Lib Dem): 97

Laura Postlethwaite (Con): 179

Patrick Stannard (Lab): 594

Majority: 415

Labour hold

Turnout: 12.3%

CENTRAL

Tony Brett (Lib Dem): 456

Andrea Cummins (Con): 245

*Paul Ingram (Green): 488

Edward Turner (Lab): 409

Majority: 32

Green hold

Turnout: 25.45%

CHERWELL

Patricia Brown (Lab): 272

*David Connett (Lib Dem): 923

Stella Hudson (Green): 141

Simon Mort (Con): 757

Majority: 166

Lib Dem hold

Turnout: 41.03%

EAST

Pieter-Paul Barker (Lib Dem): 115

William Coulstock (Con): 151

Gail Hemming (Green): 680

*Richard Tarver (Lab): 790

Majority: 110

Labour hold

Turnout: 29.7%

HEADINGTON

William Clare (Con): 372

Stephen Fairweather-Tall (Lib Dem): 832

Andrew Taylor (Green): 86

*Leslle Town (Lab): 582

Majority: 250

Lib Dem gain

Turnout: 29.35%

IFFLEY

James French (Con): 353

*Bryan Keen (Lab): 614

David Penwarden (Lib Dem): 933

Nuala Young (Green): 195

Majority: 319

Lib Dem gain

Turnout: 37.4%

LITTLEMORE

Daniel O'Brien (Green): 112

Vicky Potter (Lib Dem): 171

Gillian Sanders (Lab): 498

Martin Young (Con): 390

Majority: 108

Labour hold

Turnout: 22.6%

MARSTON

Barbara Burgess (Con): 760

Stephen Howarth (Lib Dem): 161

*Sam Timms (Lab): 516

Katherine Wedell (Green): 183

Majority: 244

Con gain

Turnout: 33.8%

NORTH

(two seats)

Stephen Brown (Lib Dem): 677

*Jean Fooks (Lib Dem): 825

Cherry Mosteshar (Lab): 320

Donald O'Neal (Green): 374

Robert Porter (Con): 280

Elizabeth Pryor (Con): 285

John Rose (Local Govt Reform): 120

Stuart Skyte (Lab): 263

Donald Smith (Green): 316

Majority: 148

Lib Dem hold seat and gain vacant seat

Turnout: 31.3%

OLD MARSTON AND RISINGHURST

Duncan Hatfield (Con): 390

Pritam Singh (Green): 75

*Kenji Tiwari (Lab): 544

Mark Whittaker (Lib Dem): 699

Majority: 155

Lib Dem gain

Turnout: 34.8%

QUARRY

Philip Allison (Lib Dem): 929

Andrew Brown (Lab): 496

Tracy Dighton-Brown (Green): 108

Philip Hodgson (Con): 358

Majority: 433

Lib Dem gain

Turnout: 31.49%

ST CLEMENTS

Mohammad Abbasi (Lab): 617

Thomas Garner (Con): 211

Jacob Sanders (Green): 897

Martin Stone (Lib Dem): 146

Majority: 280

Green hold

Turnout: 24.6%

SOUTH

Prudence Dailey (Con): 299

Deborah Glass (Green): 1202

Mark Hinnells (Lib Dem): 137

*John Tanner (Lab): 961

Majority:241

Green gain

Turnout: 42.1%

TEMPLE COWLEY

Francine Baker (Lab): 503

*Bob Hoyle (Lib Dem): 865

Lilia Patterson (Green): 136

Georgina Shomroni (Con): 193

Majority: 362

Lib Dem hold

Turnout: 30.14%

WEST

Steven Doody (Con): 183

Carole Guberman (Green): 187

Valerie Harris (Lib Dem): 832

*Susanna Pressel (Lab): 1011

Majority: 179

Labour hold

Turnout: 38.65%

WOLVERCOTE

Michael Buck (Green): 556

*Steve Goddard (Lib Dem): 1001

Wendy Piatt (Lab): 207

Jason Tomes (Con): 542

Majority: 445

Lib Dem hold

Turnout: 39.68%

WOOD FARM

Christopher Connolly (Con): 353

Dave Dalton (Green): 167

Bernard Gowers (Lib Dem): 131

Roger Jenking (Liberal): 98

Peter Johnson (Lab): 593

Majority: 240

Labour hold

Turnout: 24.5%