THE Tories strengthened their grip on Waveney District Council after gaining four more seats at Thursday's local elections in north Suffolk.The Conservatives now have a sizeable overall majority with 29 councillors on the 48-seat council.

By David Lennard

THE Tories strengthened their grip on Waveney District Council after gaining four more seats at Thursday's local elections in north Suffolk.

The Conservatives now have a sizeable overall majority with 29 councillors on the 48-seat council.

It could have even been a much worse night for Labour as two sitting councillors, John Fryers at St Margaret's and Terry Kelly at Pakefield only held on by eight and five votes respectively following recounts.

The new make-up of Waveney District Council is Conservatives 29 councillors, Labour 12, Independents 4 and Liberal Democrats 3.

Tory leader Mark Bee, who easily held on to his Wainford seat, was understandably delighted with the results. “This has been a much better set of results than we had dared hoped for.

“I believe they show that the Conservative policy of keeping a tight rein on financial matters and opposing the Labour Government's plans for regionalisation of local councils has been the key to our success,” he said.

Mr Bee said the Tories had made “enormous gains” throughout Waveney in recent years and were challenging strongly in seats that were once thought of as Labour strongholds.

For Labour councillors and supporters it was a case of accepting a disappointing set of results even though they lost only seat overall.

“I believe the national situation that has been getting a lot of media coverage in recent weeks played a part in these results,” said leading Labour councillor David Thomas.

The Liberal Democrats maintained their stranglehold on the Kirkley ward as Andrew Shepherd easily held on to his seat although the party failed to make any gains in other parts of the district.

The Green Party and United Kingdom Independence Party candidates all failed to get elected.

It was the independent councillors that fared worse losing three seats overall.

One of the biggest shocks was independent group leader Michael Ladd, who is also mayor-elect of Southwold, losing his Southwold and Reydon seat to Conservative Simon Tobin.

There was a large turnout of 53.8% in Southwold and Reydon and the result was not announced until 2am following recounts as only 17 votes separated the two candidates.

Mr Tobin emerged victorious with 728 votes compared with Mr Ladd's 711.

The average turnout for the elections in Waveney was 34% and of the 16 seats being contested the Conservatives won 11.

CARLTON COLVILLE

*Ronald Bell (Con) 702

Nicholas Webb (Lab) 401

Bryan Ayltett (UKIP) 225

Shirley Haylock (LD) 192

Graham Elliott (Green) 88

No change. Turnout 27.2%

GUNTON & CORTON

*Stephen Chilvers (Con) 925

Michelle Savage (Lab) 336

Michelle Lavill (LD) 152

Maxine Narburgh (Green) 123

Dorothy Blenkinsopp (Ind) 115

No change. Turnout 43.3%.

HARBOUR

*Ruth Ford (Ind) 629

Marion Watson (Lab) 363

Patricia Mortimer (Con) 230

Lorraine Lakes (LD) 140

Lucille Mason (Green) 106

No change. Turnout 26.4%

KESSINGLAND

*Jamie Starling (Con) 609

Michael Pickles (Lab) 382

Emma Waller (Green) 202

Stephen Went (LD) 162

No change Turnout 34.8%

KIRKLEY

*Andrew Shepherd (LD) 728

Ian Graham (Lab) 375

May Reader (Con) 240

Liam Carroll (Green) 108

No change. Turnout 27.1%

LOTHINGLAND

Paul Ashdown (Con) 289

Allyson Barron (Lab) 145

Bertie Poole (UKIP) 115

Paul Whitlow (Green) 79

Con gain from Lab. Turnout 37.7%.

NORMANSTON

John Shanahan (Lab) 581

David Coulam (Con) 405

Leslie Batchelder (LD) 226

Gary Hilton (Green) 169

Lab gain from Ind. Turnout 26.4%.

OULTON

George Hawes (Con) 419

Malcolm Cherry (Lab) 284

*Jennifer Hinton (Ind) 281

Antony Tibbitt (LD) 107

Paul Jackson (Green) 50

Con gain from Ind. Turnout 34.2%.

OULTON BROAD

*Colin Law (Con) 740

Malcolm Pitchers (Lab) 345

David O'Neill (LD) 150

Kerry Taylor (Green) 133

No change. Turnout 35.3%.

PAKEFIELD

*Terrence Kelly (Lab) 677

Brian Keller (Con) 672

Derek Hackett (UKIP) 349

Norman Walker (LD) 232

Ann Skipper (Green) 147

No change. Turnout 38.4%.

SOUTHWOLD & REYDON

Simon Tobin (Con) 728

*Michael Ladd (Ind) 711

Julie Carpenter (Green) 148

Sylvia Robbins (Lab) 147

Con gain from Ind. Turnout 53.8%.

ST MARGARET'S

*John Fryers (Lab) 679

John Burford (Con) 671

Patricia Anderson (LD) 268

Richard Vinton (Green) 126

No change. Turnout 29%

THE SAINTS

David Ritchie (Con) 563

John Sanderson (Green) 150

Mark Blunt (Lab) 102

John Marsden (LD) 75

No change. Turnout 49.6%.

WAINFORD

*Mark Bee (Con) 502

David Jermy (Lab) 104

Philip Evans (LD) 95

Nicola Elliott (Green) 86

No change. Turnout 44.3%.

WHITTON

Deanna Law (Con) 551

Paul Widdowson (Lab) 543

Sandra Tonge (LD) 371

Reginald Allen (Ind) 206

Jennifer Berry (Green) 105

Con gain from Lab. Turnout 30.6%.

WORLINGHAM

*Alan Duce (Con) 916

Alan Thwaites (Lab) 334

Philip Tregear (Green) 223

No change. Turnout 40.3%.

*denotes sitting councillor.

Key: Con _ Conservatives, Lab _ Labour, LD _ Liberal Democrats, Green _ Green Party, UKIP _ United Kingdom Independence Party, Ind _ Independent.

TORIES WIN PAKEFIELD BY-ELECTION FOR COUNTY COUNCIL

The Conservative's success in the district council was echoed in the Pakefield by-election for Suffolk County Council. Tory candidate Kenneth Sale captured the seat that had previously been held for Labour by Stephen Barrett.

Kenneth Sale (Con) 1338

Terrence Kelly (Lab) 1097

Derek Hackett (UKIP) 592

Peter Guyton (LD) 397

Ann Skipper (Green) 243.

Con gain