Russell George and Ken Skates hold on to their seats in Welsh Assembly elections

Russell George, Ken Skates and Kirsty Williams retains their places in the Welsh Assembly in a vote that saw colourful, former Tory turned UKIP, Neil Hamilton, take one of the regional places in the Senedd.

The assembly is made up of not only constituency but also regional seats - four for the mid and West Wales area.

Russell George, assembly member for Montgomeryshire since 2011, increased his majority. He polled 9,875 votes, a majority of 3,339 over the Lib Dem's Jane Dodds, who had 6,536 votes. It is the second disappointment for Jane Dodds, who lost out in the general election to Glyn Davies last year.

In third places was Des Parkinson - UKIP 2,458, with Aled Morgan Hughes - Plaid 2,410, Martyn Singleton - Labour 1,389 and Richard Chaloner - Green Party 1,389.

After the results, Mr George tweeted:

In Clywd South, which includes Chirk and much of the northWales/Shropshire border Mr Skates won the Assembly election with 7,862 votes. He was 3,016 votes ahead of Conservative candidate Simon Baynes from Llanfyllin who took second place with 4,846.

In third place was Plaid Cymru candidate Mabon ap Gwynfor on 3,861, fourth was UKIP's Mandy Jones on 2,827, fifth was the Lib Dem's Aled Roberts on 2,289 and last was the Green Party's Duncan Rees on 474.

Further south in Brecon and Radnor, Kirsty Williams kept hold of her seat-with a 8,170 majority over the Conservatives.

She said: "I'm thrilled to have been re-elected it is a privilege to serve as the Assembly Member for this amazing constituency and I'm delighted with the result which is the best I have ever achieved in the five elections I've stood in."

"What I want to do in the Assembly is to campaign on the issues that are important to local people and those issues are about schools re-organisation, improving access to health services in our communities and community hospitals, developing Powys' economy by supporting small businesses and sorting out our connectivity. This result is testament to hard work, great campaigning and fantastic support of local people."

Kirsty Williams polled 15,898 with Gary Price (Welsh Conservative) 7,728, Alex Thomas (Welsh Labour) 2,703, Thomas Turton (UKIP) 2,161, Freddy Greaves (Plaid Cymru) 1,180, Grenville Ham (Green) 697.

In the regional voting for Mid and West Wales, UKIP's Neil Hamilton was elected along with Simon Thomas of Plaid Cymru and Labour pair Joyce Watson and Eluned Morgan.

""I thank all those who have made this day happen. I am truly honoured to have been elected by the people of Wales. Ukip has made a great breakthrough today, and I don't think the politics of the assembly will ever be the same again. This has been quite a surprising turn of events for me," Mr Hamilton said.

"I hadn't anticipated at the age of 67 that I would once again be elected to public office. Particularly after I had been liberated from it so spectacularly in 1997 by the electorate. But I came back into politics after that event for one thing and one thing only, to free our country from the bonds of the European Union."

Labour has retained the largest number of seats in the Welsh Assembly but failed to gain an overall majority.

The biggest shock of the night was Plaid Cymru's unexpected win over Labour in the Rhondda. Plaid leader Leanne Wood's gamble to go head-to-head against cabinet minister Leighton Andrews paid off, as she took the seat with 50.6 oer cent of the vote.

Full results for Montgomeryshire:

• Russell George - Conservative 9,875

• Jane Dodds - Liberal Democrats 6,536

• Des Parkinson - UKIP 2,458

• Aled Morgan Hughes - Plaid 2,410

• Martyn Singleton - Labour 1,389

• Richard Chaloner - Green Party 1,389

Votes - 23,742

Rejected Votes - 142

Full results for Clwyd South:

• Ken Skates - Labour 7,862

• Simon Baynes - Conservative 4,846

• Mabon ap Gwynfor - Plaid Cymru 3,861

• Mandy Jones - UKIP 2,827

• Aled Roberts - Liberal Democrats 2,289

• Duncan Rees - Green Party 474