JOHN (Horace) Mitchell held Highclere and Bourne ward for the Conservatives in elections which left four Independent councillors holding the balance of power on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Mr Mitchell won 736 votes compared with Keith Watts for the Liberal Democrats on 360 votes. There was a turnout in the ward of 47 per cent.

A third of the council was up for election, which brought the Conservatives on an equal footing with the Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition, with 28 councillors.