Before (end of 1986) (28 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 9 · Other 9 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 7 · Labour 3
After (end of 1987) (28 seats, Elections Centre)
SDP-Liberal Alliance 13 · Other 9 · Conservative 5 · Labour 1
Ward results
Bamburgh1 seat
| A. Thompson | Conservative | 0 ✓ |
Beadnell2 seats · turnout 35.8%
| K. Middleton | Conservative | 285 |
| G. Anderson | Lib/Sdp | 255 |
| J. Davidson | Conservative | 247 |
Chatton1 seat · turnout 60.6%
| A. Jarvis | Conservative | 192 |
| W. De Courcy Wheeler | Lib/Sdp | 162 |
Cheviot1 seat · turnout 43.6%
| I. Bennett | Conservative | 172 |
| J. Smith | Lib/Sdp | 72 |
Edward2 seats · turnout 58.5%
| G. Elliott | Independent | 592 |
| B. Douglas | Independent | 413 |
| E. Small | Independent | 370 |
| C. Leith | Conservative | 291 |
Elizabeth3 seats · turnout 43.0%
| D. Smith | Conservative | 733 |
| K. Dickinson | Lib/Sdp | 608 |
| P. Herdman | Lib/Sdp | 549 |
| J. Renwick | Conservative | 474 |
| L. Fairburn | Lib/Sdp | 462 |
Islandshire2 seats · turnout 53.4%
| I. McGregor | Lib/Sdp | 895 |
| J. Marshall | Lib/Sdp | 720 |
| M. Thomas | Independent | 475 |
Norhamshire2 seats · turnout 49.8%
| G. Miller | Independent | 532 |
| A. Easton | Independent | 530 |
| E. Cameron | Lib/Sdp | 244 |
North Sunderland2 seats
| A. Clemit | Independent | 0 ✓ |
| G. Scott | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Seton2 seats · turnout 44.9%
| T. Sidey | Independent | 586 |
| R. Gilchrist | Labour | 545 |
| J. Thompson | Independent | 197 |
Spittal3 seats · turnout 15.0%
| C. Robson | Lib/Sdp | 634 |
| J. Hughes | Conservative | 253 |
| J. Patterson | Conservative | 152 |
| R. Patterson | Conservative | 148 |
Tower2 seats · turnout 29.4%
| J. Innes | Lib/Sdp | 474 |
| M. Simpson | Lib/Sdp | 448 |
| G. Beedie | Labour | 331 |
Wooler2 seats · turnout 48.9%
| W. Ferguson | Lib/Sdp | 508 |
| I. Harris | Lib/Sdp | 445 |
| C. Houston | Conservative | 394 |
| N. Mills | Conservative | 303 |