CONSERVATIVES picked up votes across the area in last Thursday's elections for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

They took a seat in Winklebury from Labour and regained Burghclere whose previous Conservative councillor became an Independent (non-aligned) after his election in 2002.

The Liberal Democrat vote held up well in several areas and the party took Brighton Hill South from Labour.

The Labour vote was almost uniformly down and included the crushing defeat of council leader Rob Donnelly in Popley East.

Altogether, 33,413 votes were cast as 22 seats in 22 wards were up for grabs.

The staging of European parliamentary elections on the same day may have had a beneficial effect on turnout which was up on last year, with 38.24 per cent of the electorate voting compared with 31.33 per cent in 2003.

While two wards held by-elections, the rest of the seats were open to election as one third of the councillors are obliged to stand again every four years. Next year there will be no borough council election and instead Hampshire County Council elections will be held.

Local residents also seem to have taken advantage of postal voting this year, with 9,231 votes sent in, leaving 24,182 votes cast through the traditional ballot box.

The count at Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke was longer than usual because of the European elections. Staff had to separate the large European ballot papers from the small council papers.

The shock defeat of Rob Donnelly was the second result announced and sent an excited murmur through Conservative ranks.

By 1.30am few Labour rosettes were seen in the hall despite the many results still to be declared. The final result declared on the stroke of 5am was that of Mayor-elect Gwen Richardson in Oakley and North Waltham.