WHILE it was doom and gloom for the Tories elsewhere in Thursday’s English council elections, they bucked the trend in Herefordshire with no less than eight gains to become the largest group with 21 seats - six short of an overall majority.

The Lib Dems also surged to 12 seats with five gains as the council’s previous coalition kingpins – Independents for Herefordshire – suffered a disastrous result, falling from 18 seats to just six.

The Independents ruling coalition lost 16 seats in total as the council remained with no party in control.

Conservative candidate Elissa Swinglehurst fought off a strong Lib Dem challenge from Michelle Setchfield to retain her Llangarron ward seat north of Monmouth, which includes Welsh Newton and Llangrove, winning by 652 to 551 votes.

And Conservative Simeon Cole took the Kerne Bridge ward, which includes Whitchurch and Goodrich, with 442 votes from Sarah Freer of the Lib Dems on 300 votes, after former ward IfH ward member Yolande Watson stepped down.

Toni Fagan of the Green Party held onto her Birch seat, which includes Garway and St Weonards, by just 29 votes, polling 562 to Conservative candidate Michael Agyeman’s 533.

Ross-on-Wye turned orange with all three seats going to the Lib Dems, including town mayor Ed O’Driscoll taking the Ross East ward.

But IfH transport and infrastructure Cabinet member John Harrington lost his Hampton Bishop seat to Conservative candidate Bruce Baker by 125 votes in the wake of the controversial decision to cancel the proposed Hereford city bypass.

North Herefordshire Conservative MP, Sir Bill Wiggin, whose constituency includes Upton Bishop near Ross, said: “I think if you look at the nature of the council as it was, they cancelled the bypass, they were disgraced by their children's services, and they spent a lot of money in the city, and I think they're paying for that incompetence at this election.”

But Independent candidate Peter Jinman beat Tpry Dave Greenow to the Golden Valley south seat, which includes Pontrilas and Ewyas Harold north of Abergavenny, by 194 votes.

And across the River Wye in the Forest of Dean, the Tories suffered a near wipe out, losing six seats to be left with just four as the Greens became the biggest single party with 15 seats out of the 38 on offer.

Independent council leader Tim Gwilliam held his Berry Hill seat beating fellow Independent Jamie Elsmore by 11 votes, with both being elected.

Clive Elsmore, also Independent, headed the vote in Coleford, to be elected alongside Labour’s Patrick Kyne and Independent Ian Whitburn.

Sid Phelps held Lydbrook with 86% of the vote, while fellow Greens David Wheeler with 69% and Chris McFarling with 75% retained the Newland/Sling and St Briavels seats respectively.

Johnathan Lane and Adrian Birch topped the vote to gain Green seats in Tidenham just over the river from Chepstow, but Nick Evans held on to a seat for the Conservatives in third.