RESIDENTS of Babergh have once again opted for a consensus-driven council with no party in control, although the Lib Dems took something of a beating.

The Tories are still the largest group on Babergh District Council with 18 members, followed closely by the Lib Dems who lost four seats yesterday leaving them with 12, and the Independents, who gained two to give them nine seats.

Labour also made a comeback from having no elected councillors in 2007, although a bye-election in the interim selected Labour leader Tony Bavington, and the party now has three councillors in place.

Notable wins at the count in East Bergholt High School today include the return of county Lib Dem leader Kathy Pollard after an absence of 16 years, and the switch from Tory to Independent in the true blue seat of Lavenham.

First-time candidate Nicci Gerrard – half of award-winning husband-and-wife writing team Nicci French – stood for Labour in South Cosford but came third, polling just 187 votes.

How the results break down:

Alton (first two elected): Trot Ward (LD) 902, David Wood (LD) 823, Chris Chambers (C) 503, Patsy Cave (C) 396, Keith Rawlings (L) 231, Carol Tilbury (L) 219. Maj: 79, LD hold.

Berners (uncontested, first two elected): John Deacon (LD), Tony Roberts (LD). LD hold.

Boxford: Bryn Hurren (LD) 695, Taz Kavvadias (C) 365. Maj: 330, LD hold.

Brett Vale: Desmond Keane (C) 434, Robert Lindsay (Gn) 428. Maj: 6, C hold.

Brook (first two elected): Nick Ridley (C) 721, Peter Jones (Ind) 598, Gloria Wallace (LD) 562, Barry Gasper (C) 555, Emma Cookson (L) 264. Maj: 123, Ind and C hold.

Bures St Mary: Peter Holbrook (C) 585, Iain Scott (L) 128. Maj: 457, C hold.

Chadacre: James Long (Ind) 792, John Finnigan (L) 91. Maj: 701, Ind hold.

Dodnash (first two elected): John Hinton (C) 792, Michael Bamford (LD) 495, Michael Miller (LD) 451, Clive Totman (Ind) 354, Joy Harrison (L) 262, Emma Nordon (LB) 174. Maj: 297, C and LD hold.

Glemsford & Stanstead (first two elected): Rex Thake (Ind) 694, Len Young (Ind) 611, David Burch (C) 397, Heath Brown (L) 203, David Hayes (L) 183. Maj: 83, Ind hold.

Great Cornard North (first two elected): Tony Bavington (L) 508, Neil Macmaster (L) 432, Nick Antill (C) 387, Derek Allen (UKIP) 248, Marion Press (LD) 229, Cynthia Allen (UKIP) 207. Maj: 76, L gain from C.

Great Cornard South (first two elected): Peter Beer (C) 464, Mark Newman (C) 426, Todd Bellaris (L) 210, Tony Harman (Ind) 205, Robert Porter (L) 205, Tom Keane (Ind) 170, Richard Platt (LD) 158, Cathy Press (LD) 134. Maj: 40, C hold.

Hadleigh North (first two elected): Brian Riley (C) 595, Mary Munson (LD) 448, Richard Whiting (LD) 367, Angela Wiltshire (L) 247, David Westwood (L) 233, Reginald Smith (UKIP) 215. Maj: 147, C and LD hold.

Hadleigh South (first two elected): David Grutchfield (LD) 659, Kathryn Grandon-White (C) 508, Peter Matthews (LD) 380, Susan Monks (L) 204, David Cooper (Ind) 186, Stephen Cockerton (L) 158, John Smith (UKIP) 66, Josephine Smith (UKIP) 57. Maj: 151, LD hold and C gain from LD.

Holbrook (uncontested): David Rose (Ind). Ind hold.

Lavenham: Jack Norman (Ind) 411, Philip Gibson (C) 337, James Coleman (L) 69. Maj: 74, Ind gain from C.

Leavenheath: Jennie Jenkins (C) 648, Andrew Jameson (L) 186. Maj: 462, C hold.

Long Melford (first two elected): Richard Kemp (Ind) 1,089, John Nunn (Ind) 743, William Shropshire (C) 474, Margaret Maybury (C) 419, Susan Bishop (L) 153. Maj: 346, Ind hold.

Lower Brett: Sue Wigglesworth (Ind) 592, John Ward (C) 390. Maj: 202, Ind hold.

Mid Samford (first two elected): Sue Carpendale (LD) 819, Kathy Pollard (LD) 808, Gerald White (C) 766, Theresa Bloomfield (C) 671, Sue Thomas (L) 228, Richard Hudson-Smith (UKIP) 112, Christopher Streatfield (UKIP) 108. Maj: 11, LD hold and LD gain from C.

Nayland: Richard Cave (C) 498, William Kennedy (L) 160, James Carver (UKIP) 123, Michael Breeze (LD) 88. Maj: 338, C hold.

North Cosford: Clive Arthey (no party) 601, Brian Tora (C) 288, Gerald Gould (L) 127. Maj: 474, No party hold.

Pinewood (first two elected): Peter Burgoyne (C) 423, David Busby (LD) 418, David Plowman (L) 400, Leonard Johnson (LD) 336, Sue Powell (C) 327. Maj: 5, C gain from LD and LD hold.

South Cosford: Dawn Kendall (C) 492, Brian Lazenby (LD) 330, Nicci Gerrard (L) 187. Maj: 162, C gain from LD.

Sudbury East (first two elected): Adrian Osborne (C) 500, Jack Owen (L) 479, Jan Osborne (C) 476, Russell Smith (L) 392, Emma Hewett (LD) 153, Susan Smith (UKIP) 137, Donald Martin (UKIP) 133, Oliver Forder (LD) 95. Maj: 21, C hold, L gain from C.

Sudbury North (first two elected): John Sayers (C) 690, Ray Smith (C) 537, Joanne Connah (L) 405, Ian Pointon (L) 370, Andrew Welsh (LD) 277. Maj: 153, C hold.

Sudbury South (first two elected): Nigel Bennett (LD) 508, Simon Barrett (C) 371, Peter Goodchild (C) 364, Martyn Booth (LD) 337, Luke Cresswell (L) 336, Michael Cornish (L) 332, Jane Martin (UKIP) 132, Christine Wardrop (UKIP) 107. Maj: 137, LD hold, C gain from LD.

Waldingfield (first two elected): Jenny Antill (C) 1,068, Frank Lawrenson (C) 824, Alan Scott (LD) 311, Robert Armstrong (UKIP) 228, Leon Philip (UKIP) 175. Maj: 244, C hold.

Key: (L) Labour, (C) Conservative, (LD) Liberal Democrat, (Gn) Green, (Ind) Independent.