THE Conservatives strengthened their grip on the Ribble Valley after gaining three seats from the Liberal Democrats.

The Tories won seats in the Littlemoor and St Mary’s wards of Clitheroe, and Derby and Thornley in the Trough of Bowland, from their national coalition partners.

Leader of the council, Michael Ranson, who kept his seat in the Waddington and West Bradford ward with a majority of 871, said he was delighted but would not rest on his laurels.

He said: “We provide a sensible and good service and when you look at the statistics they clearly show that the people of the Ribble Valley are very satisfied with the Conservative council.

“People realise that we are looking after our finances and we will continue to do this during the difficult times that we are facing.

“But we have a lot of work to do over the next four years to ensure that we keep up our high standards without making savage cuts to our services.”

The count at the Roefield Leisure Centre, Clitheroe, finished at 5am yesterday with the Conservatives holding 33 seats, the Liberal Democrats down to six and the independents retaining one seat.

Liberal Democrat Allan Knox, the former Clitheroe mayor, who held on to his seat in the Primrose ward, admitted that he was disappointed by the losses his party had suffered.

He said: “We lost a few hard-working councillors and we didn’t manage to get some of our good candidates through.

“But we will continue to fight and work hard for the people of the borough.”

His fellow Liberal Democrat Rose Adamson lost her Derby and Thornley seat to the Conservatives, Tory Chris Bartrop took the seat in Littlemoor ward, while the Liberal Democrats lost the St Mary’s ward seat which was not contested by former councillor Beverley Jones to entrepreneur Kevin Horkin.

The millionaire businessman and founder of Spex Opticians, who also ran a pet talent agency, was elected after polling 502 votes.

Labour, which had 21 candidates, failed to win a seat as did UKIP, which fielded four candidates, and the Green Party, which put up Rebecca Sharp against the council leader in the Waddington and West Bradford.

Four Conservatives were returned unchallenged in Ribchester, Mellor and Gisburn and Rimington.

The borough saw a 44.9 per cent turnout, an increase from 41.9 per cent on the 2007 election.

AIGHTON BAILEY & CHAIGLEY

Jan Alcock, Con 380
Ross Mclean, Lab 91
Tania Slater, Lib Dem 60.

ALSTON & HOTHERSALL

Jim Rogerson, Ind 439
David Thornton Smith, Con 493
Catriona Graham West, Lib Dem 96.

BILLINGTON & OLD LANGHO

Gary Cooper, Lib Dem 153
Simon Kerins, UKIP 245
Ged Mirfin, Con 466
Carl Eric Ross, Con 492.

BOWLAND, NEWTON & SLAIDBURN

Rosemary Joan Elms, Con 496
Gill Rose, Lab 70.

CHATBURN

Sarah Jane Bryant, Lab 99
Howard Granville Douglas, Ind 43
Gary Scott, Con 438.

CHIPPING

Simon Hore, Con 449
Jennifer Louise Shervey, Lib Dem 94.

CLAYTON-LE-DALE WITH RAMSGREAVE

Peter Ainsworth, Con 783
Katherine Elizabeth Burn, Lab 215
Doreen Taylor, Con 607.

DERBY & THORNLEY

Stuart Walter Alan Carefoot, Con 440
Rose Marie Adamson, Lib Dem 232
Jenny Doran, Lab 202
Sarah Rainford, Lib Dem 390.

DILWORTH

Jeffrey Norman Flitcroft, Lib Dem 174
Ken Hind, Con 481
Chris Parkinson, Ind 116
David Walter Robinson, Lib Dem 51
Adam Cedric Hudson Scott, Lab 136
Charles Alexander Smithson, Lab 177
Rupert Swarbrick, Con 459.

EDISFORD & LOW MOOR

Jo Barlow, Lab 219
Alastair Crooks, Con 214
Ruth Hargreaves, Lib Dem 282
David Hinder, Lab 172
Alyson Martha Hudson Con 208
Ron Loebell, UKIP 215
Alan Yearing, Lib Dem 351.

GISBURN & RIMINGTON

Richard Else Sherras, Con unopposed.

LANGHO

Frank Joseph Havard, Lab 272
Lois Rimmer, Con 621
Michael James Thomas, Con 523.

LITTLEMOOR

Chris Bartrop, Con 343
Alex Collinson, Lab 226
Sue Knox, Lib Dem 361
Luke Andrew Montague, Lab 193
Simon Morley, Con 321
James Kristian Shervey, Lib Dem 305.

MELLOR

Stella Maria Brunskill, Con unopposed
Noel C Walsh, Con unopposed.

PRIMROSE

Charles Berkeley Cathcart, Lab 168
Graham Geldard, Con 242
Allan McLean Knox, Lib Dem 330
Andrew Pearson, Con 184
Mary Robinson, Lib Dem 378
Mike Rose, Lab 193.

READ & SIMONSTONE

Richard John Bennett, Con 828
Samantha Claire Bruce, Lib Dem 232
John Benson Hill, Con 836
Paul Andrew Slater, Lib Dem 125.

RIBCHESTER

Ian Christison, Con unopposed.

SABDEN

Andrew John Berryman, Lib Dem, 93
Richard Newmark, Con 368.

SALTHILL

Kath Hill, Con 211
David Andrew Berryman, Lib Dem, 266
Ian Frank Brown, Ind 178
Pamela Dowson, Con 323
John Basham Field, Lab 100
Amy Killen, Lab 109
Steve Rush, UKIP 223
Paul Fraser Webb, Lib Dem 157.

ST MARY'S

Laura Field, Lab 178
Paul Martyn Hogarth, Lab 171
Kevin Horkin, Con 502
Adam George Howard, Lib Dem 318
Ruth Moores, Con 554
Simon Michael O'Rourke, Lib Dem 314.

WADDINGTON & WEST BRADFORD

Bridget Hilton, Con 836
Michael Ranson, Con 871
Paul Joseph Stewart Robinson, Lib Dem 203
Rebecca Jayne Sharp, Green 250.

WHALLEY

Mel Diack, Ind 258
Terry Hill, Con 867.