A SUCCESSFUL night for the Conservatives in the Tendring elections has cast doubts over the future of their power share with the Liberal Democrats and Independents which has existed for the past four years.

A SUCCESSFUL night for the Conservatives in the Tendring elections has cast doubts over the future of their power share with the Liberal Democrats and Independents which has existed for the past four years.

With the greatest number of candidates up for election, the Conservatives gained eight seats, giving them 25 out of the 60 councillors, but still six short of the number required for total control.

It was a poor night for the Labour Party, which started election day with the highest number of councillors, 20, and finished up with just 11.

The Lib Dems gained two seats in the district, leaving them in a powerful position to influence any Conservative attempts to exercise control.

Terry Allen, leader of the council and the Conservative Party, said: "We will be holding a group meeting in the next few days to see the way forward.

"People knew from the progress made in the last four years where we are going and can see where we have improved things, including making difficult decisions along the way. We can now get on with the issues that the people of Tendring care about."

Labour Group leader, Les Double, said: "It was a disappointing night and it is hard to understand what happened. There were strange sets of circumstances in each area – in Harwich, it has been so different from ward to ward."

He believed votes had been cast mainly on local issues, rather than people using their votes to signal opinion on the party's national policy.

Lib Dem leader, Robert Taylor, said: "We had been hoping for 15 seats, but we are reasonably pleased. We could have done better, but we are thinking about the future now.

"In terms of the power share, I think we are going to be thinking along the lines of continuing the alliance as it was."

Peter Patrick, leader of the Independent group, said it was too early to say what would happen to the alliance. Independent councillors lost seven seats, leaving them four.

"I am pleased, but at this stage I can't say too much. We are examining the situation," he added.

There was disappointment for Conservative hopeful Claire Moor, who was the youngest candidate standing in the Tendring District Council elections.

For she was 34 votes short of being elected to the St Bartholomew's ward in Holland-on-Sea.

She said: "Obliviously I am disappointed, but I will be trying again next year. It was a tough ward because the residents' association have been in there for 12 years.

"We are pleased overall as we did really well in the district, which meant it was a good night all round."

But there were celebrations for Conservative candidate Pierre Oxley, who was returned for the St Paul's ward and was joined by his mother Ann, who was voted in as a Conservative councillor for Pier ward in Clacton.

New state of power on the council: Conservatives 25 seats (+8), Liberal Democrats 13 seats (+3), Labour 11 seats (-9) and Independents, including Community Representatives Party and Holland Residents' Association, 11 seats (no change).