CONSERVATIVES secured seven extra Wiltshire Council seats on Friday as the party tightened its grip on County Hall.

The Tories dominated at the polls, claiming 68 seats, including three key victories in the south.

Sven Hocking (Con) ousted long-serving Ian Tomes (Lab) in Salisbury St Martins and Cathedral.

Cllr Hocking thanked his rival for his years of service and a “hard-fought campaign”.

Peter Edge (Lib) thought he had held on to Wilton and Lower Wylye Valley by just 12 votes.

But a recount found a bundle of 50 votes for Pauline Church (Con) in his pile, sealing a narrow victory for the Tories.

Ms Church said: “I started on this journey in February, I just can’t believe what we’ve achieved.”

And Darren Henry (Con) defeated veteran Ian West (Lib) in Till and Wylye Valley after 26 years.

Brian Dalton (Lib) retained Harnham, Ricky Rogers (Lab) kept Bemerton and Ian McLennan (Lab) held Laverstock, Ford and Old Sarum.

John Walsh (Lab), who won Fisherton and Bemerton Village by a single vote in 2013, extended his majority to 67, a lead he jokingly described as “comfortable”.

And former Tory Chris Devine (Ind) won in Winterslow after being dropped by his party before the election. Elsewhere, Robert Yuill (Con) won back Amesbury East for the Tories after losing to 20-year-old student Jamie Capp (Lib) by just five votes at a by-election in 2016.

John Smale (Con) stood unopposed in Bulford, Allington and Figheldean, the only uncontested seat in Wiltshire, after beating Martin Lee (Ind) by just six votes in 2013.

Meanwhile, Independents Graham Wright (Durrington and Larkhill) and George Jeans (Mere) both won comfortably by more than 1,000 votes.

County-wide, the Lib Dems now hold 20 seats, Independents seven, Labour three. Ukip lost its only seat in Melksham Central. Turnout was 39.6 per cent (up from 34.9 in 2013).

The council will elect a chairman and leader at County Hall on May 16.

All the Wiltshire Council election results from the south of the county. Candidates in bold were elected.

Alderbury & Whiteparish

Britton, Richard (Conservative), 825 (59.35%)
Aymes, Gideon (Independent), 342 (24.60%)
Edrich, John (Lib Dem), 118 (8.49%)
Glennon-Alty, Kim (Labour), 105 (7.55%)

Amesbury East
Yuill, Robert (Conservative), 669 (48.23%)
Holdsworth, Helen (Lib Dem), 434 (31.29%)
Evans, Rhod (UKIP), 118 (8.51%)
Martingale, Julie (Labour), 84 (6.06%)
Baker, Joshua (Green), 82 (5.91%)

Amesbury West
Westmoreland, Fred (Conservative), 874 (74.19%)
Corbin, Tom (Labour), 168 (14.26%)
Wynn, Gerard (Lib Dem), 136 (11.54%)
Turnout 1,196 (32.34%)

Bourne & Woodford Valley
Hewitt, Mike (Conservative), 983 (65.45%)
Hopper, Dineen (Lib Dem), 364 (24.23%)
Bellringer, Lindsey (Labour), 155 (10.32%)
Turnout 1,509 (43.68%)

Bulford, Allington & Figheldean
Smale, John (Conservative) Uncontested

Downton & Ebble Valley
Clewer, Richard (Conservative), 944 (64.66%)
Wynn, Ben (Labour), 188 (12.88%)
Steel, Robert (Green), 208 (14.25%)
Ashcroft, Harry (Lib Dem), 120 (8.22%)
Turnout 1,464 (38.96%)

Durrington & Larkhill
Wright, Graham (Independent), 1,384 (80.05%)
Burns, Jan (Conservative), 345 (19.95%)
Turnout 1,738 (34.91%)

Fovant & Chalke Valley
Green, Jose (Conservative), 971 (64.95%)
Holmes, William (Independent    ), 339 (22.68%)
Holdsworth, Oliver (Lib Dem),    185 (12.37%)
Turnout 1,501 (44.10%)

Laverstock, Ford & Old Sarum
McLennan, Ian (Labour), 1,050 (63.37%)
McClelland, Mark (Conservative), 607 (36.63%)
Turnout 1,660 (41.67%)

Ludgershall & Perham Down
Williams, Chris (Conservative), 679 (69.93%)
Lambert, Charles (Lib Dem), 100 (10.30%)
Webster, Leslie (UKIP), 98 (10.09%)
Thornton, Teresa (Green), 94 (9.68%)
Turnout 976 (26.58%)

Mere
Jeans, George (Independent), 1,339 (66.88%)
Liddicoat, Mike (Conservative), 399 (19.93%)
Jordan, John (Labour), 264 (13.19%)
Turnout 2,010 (57.86%)

Nadder and East Knoyle
Wayman, Bridget (Conservative), 964 (66.85%)
Caudle, Jill (Lib Dem), 478 (33.15%)
Turnout 1,447 (41.50%)

Redlynch & Landford
Randall, Leo (Conservative), 1020 (66.49%)
Rosell, Martin (Lib Dem), 316 (20.60%)
Sheehan, Finbarr (Labour), 198 (12.91%)
Turnout 1,535 (41.02%)

Salisbury Bemerton
Rogers, Ricky (Labour), 568 (46.25%)
Barrett, Gavin (Conservative), 408 (33.22%)
Palethorpe, Dean (UKIP), 92 (7.49%)
Steel, Robert (Lib Dem), 87 (7.08%)
Richardson, Julia (Green), 73 (5.94%)
Turnout 1,232 (27.99%)

Salisbury Fisherton & Bemerton Village
Walsh, John (Labour), 472 (34.33%)
Nettle, Jeremy (Conservative), 405 (29.45%)
Duly, Mark (Lib Dem), 208 (15.13%)
Cochrane, Chris (Independent), 139 (10.11%)
Craig, Alison (Green), 102 (7.42%)
Singh, Paddy (UKIP), 49 (3.56%)
Turnout 1,379 (39.92%)

Salisbury Harnham
Dalton, Brian Edward (Lib Dem), 827 (44.51%)
Jackson, Simon     (Conservative), 756 (40.69%)
Holroyd, Merrin (Labour), 112 (6.03%)
King, Naomi May (UKIP), 66 (3.55%)
Matthews, Peter (Green), 97 (5.22%)
Turnout 1,862 (45.48%)

Salisbury St Edmund & Milford
Hoque, Atiqul (Conservative), 654 (40.45%)
Chettleburgh, Bobbie (Lib Dem), 551 (34.08%)
Vincent, Clive (Labour), 209 (12.93%)
Wright, Sue (Green), 182 (11.26%)
Skelton, Colin (Reform), 21 (1.30%)
Turnout 1,619 (44.39%)

Salisbury St Francis & Stratford
Douglas, Mary Jacquelin (Conservative), 909 (49.43%)
Ellis, Julian (Lib Dem), 596 (32.41%)
Bolton, Richard (Green), 187 (0.17%)
Wadsworth, Steven Ian (Labour), 147 (7.99%)
Turnout 1,845 (45.04%)

Salisbury St Marks & Bishopdown
Brown, Derek (Conservative), 671 (44.97%)
Davidson, Hilary (Independent), 416 (27.88%)
Foster, Rebecca (Lib Dem), 241 (16.15%)
Mettyear, Tom (Labour), 164 (10.99%)
Turnout 1,496 (37.23%)

Salisbury St Martins & Cathedral
Hocking, Sven (Conservative), 817 (40.97%)
Tomes, Ian (Labour), 699 (35.06%)
Condliffe, Greg     (Lib Dem), 313 (15.70%)
Fallon, Teresa (Green), 115 (5.77%)
Howard, Frances (UKIP), 50 (2.51%)
Turnout 2,007 (48%)

Salisbury St Pauls
Dean, Matthew     (Conservative), 650 (44.67%)
Corbin, Caroline (Labour), 301, (20.69%)
Sample, Paul (Lib Dem), 324 (22.27%)
Goehl, Benji (Green), 180 (12.37%)
Turnout 1,462 (39.30%)

The Collingbournes & Netheravon
Blair-Pilling, Ian (Conservative), 808 (63.82%)
Wood, Alan (Independent), 276 (21.80%)
Griffin, Denis (Green), 91 (7.19%)
Price, Glenn (Lib Dem), 91 (7.19%)
Turnout 1,266 (38.62%)

Tidworth
Connolly, Mark (Conservative), 711 (84.34%)
Barnett, Joan (Labour), 133 (15.78%)
Turnout 845 (18.14%)    

Till & Wylye Valley
Henry, Darren (Conservative), 1134 (54.23%)
West, Ian (Lib Dem), 923 (44.14%)
Buckley, Gary (Labour), 34 (1.63%)
Turnout 2,095 (57.83%)

Tisbury
Deane, Tony (Conservative), 846 (61.80%)
Deyes, Marcus (Lib Dem), 341 (24.91%)
Walford, Christopher (Green), 182 (13.29%)
Turnout 1,370 (38.36%)

Wilton & Lower Wylye Valley
Church, Pauline (Conservative) 760 (46%)
Edge, Peter (Lib Dem) 692 (41.89%)
McLennan, Olivia (Labour), 200 (12.11%)
Turnout 1,661 (43.31%)

Winterslow
Devine, Christopher (Independent) 775 (47.17%)
Miller, Christopher (Conservative) 590 (35.91%)
Baxter, Colin Richard (Lib Dem) 159 (9.68%)
Kiff, Alice (Green), 74 (4.5%)
Martingale, Ian (Labour), 45 (2.74%)
Turnout 1,645 (51.93%)