THE South West has elected its first Green MEP in European elections which saw UKIP dominate the polls.

Liberal Democrat MEP Sir Graham Watson, who first won a seat on the European Parliament in 1994, missed out on re-election as one of the South West's six MEPs.

UKIP won two seats, claiming 484,184 votes, ahead of the Conservatives in second place with 433,151.

UKIP also topped the poll in 24 of the 38 districts in the region and have seen widespread success nationally.

The Conservatives also won two seats in the constituency, while one went to Labour, with 206,125 votes, and the Greens, with 166,447.

The Liberal Democrats, who have previously seen the region as a stronghold, came fifth with just 160,376 votes.

It is the first time the Greens have won a seat in the South West constituency, which runs from Cornwall to Gloucestershire but also includes Gibraltar.

Stroud mum Molly Scott Cato, 51, was elected to Stroud District Council three years ago and is a professor of strategy and sustainability at Roehampton University.

The region's other MEPs are Clare Moody (Lab), Julie Girling (Con), Ashley Fox (Con), Julia Reid (UKIP) and William Dartmouth (UKIP).

Five years ago, voters chose three Tories, two UKIP and one Lib Dem MEP.