THE Conservatives came out on top in the county council elections for the Basingstoke area, winning seven seats in a contest that saw the Liberal Democrats lose out.

Boundary changes make comparison with previous results difficult, but before Thursday's ballots there were four local Conservatives on the county council, three Liberal Democrats and two Labour councillors.

Now - with one extra seat following the changes - there are seven Conservatives, two Labour and just one Liberal Democrat - Brian Gurden, leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, who safely won the Basingstoke South East division.

In a tight contest in Whitchurch and Clere, there was not such good news for Liberal Democrat John Wall, a member of the county authority for 12 years, who lost out to Conservative John Maxwell.

Another Liberal Democrat casualty was John Shaw, who had previously represented the old Basingstoke North West division on the county authority. With boundary changes, he was standing against Jo Kelly, leader of the Labour group on the county council. It was a contest that, because of the boundary changes, she thought she might lose, but, in a tight result between the three main parties, she came out on top.

Clutching a bouquet of red roses, given to her by delighted supporters, Ms Kelly said: "I'm just so pleased."

In Basingstoke North West, the former leader of the borough council, Conservative Stephen Reid, defeated the Labour candidate by nearly 300 votes, with the Liberal Democrat candidate polling just 917 votes.

Mr Reid said: "It's only when you hear the result that you realise how much tension there is at a count."

He attributed the win to his work as a leading member of the Save Manydown Group, which is campaigning against proposed major development on the Manydown site to the west of Basingstoke.

The county election saw a battle between two political families - although in truth they were enormously friendly with each other at the count held at Basingstoke's Civic Offices.

Jane Frankum was victorious for Labour in Basingstoke North against Conservative Christine Heath, wife of fellow Tory Phil Heath, while Mr Heath triumphed in Basingstoke South West against Mrs Frankum's Labour candidate son Paul. When the results were announced, there were handshakes and congratulations all round between the rivals.