Ceredigion: Ellen ap Gwynn is first Plaid Cymru leader

Plaid Cymru has secured the leadership of Ceredigion council for the first time at the head of a coalition.

Plaid councillor Ellen ap Gwynn was voted in as leader of the authority on Friday.

It is something of a consolation for Plaid a week after poor election results where it lost seats and the leadership of other councils.

Elsewhere, councillors are in talks on forming administrations to take control of county halls.

Ms ap Gwynn was voted in by a majority of councillors, including independent members. Liberal Democrats abstained.

She said there would be a four-sided coalition, including her party, two independent groups and one Labour member.

Plaid is the biggest party on the council with 19 seats.

Plaid lost 41 councillors across Wales last week. It also lost the leadership of Caerphilly and overall control of Gwynedd, where a by-election is due to take place in a vacant ward.

Party leader Leanne Wood told BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye programme that the party needed "fresh thinking".

She did claim there were positives, however. Plaid broke new ground in Abergele in Conwy county, Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire and Pentre in the Rhondda, she said.

Meanwhile, Labour made gains, bouncing back from a drubbing in its heartlands at the previous council elections in 2008.

It is in charge of 10 authorities and in the driving seat in another four which fell to no overall control.