CONSERVATIVE Anne McIntosh triumphed in the Vale of York for the third and final time, increasing her majority in the process.

In a tight battle for second place, the Liberal Democrats were narrowly beaten by Labour.

Ms McIntosh's majority rose from 12,517 to 13,712, but she said the victory was tinged by sadness. The constituency, which was only formed in 1995, will be abolished ahead of the next election due to boundary changes.

Ms McIntosh has now completed a hat-trick of victories in the seat.

On an increased turnout of 66.3 per cent, the Conservative vote rose by 992, to 26,025.

Liberal Democrat Jeremy Wilcock increased his party's share by 3.7 per cent, but was pipped to second place by Labour's David Scott. Mr Wilcock won 12,040 votes to Mr Scott's 12,313.

Ms McIntosh said she was delighted with both her own result, and with the Conservatives' resurgence across the country, but she would be sad to see the seat go at the next election.

She said she was "absolutely thrilled" to have won the seat for a third time, and added: "It is nice that we have increased our vote here, and I think this result seems to have been replicated in large measures across the country.

"It sends a very strong message to the Labour government that they ignore rural areas at their peril."

She said: "The only note of sadness is that this will be the last time the Vale of York exists. I am delighted to see that we go out with a bang."

Ms McIntosh attributed her success to her campaign team, saying: "We reached the parts of the constituency the other parties did not. I pass on my commiserations and congratulations to my opponents, and I would like to wish them all the best for somewhere else."

David Scott said it had been an honour to stand in the constituency, and hailed a "historic night" for Labour at a national level. He said: "People have voted for more investment in health and education, and I am proud to be a part of that."

Jeremy Wilcock, for the Liberal Democrats, said: "This is a strange election where everyone can take something out of it." He congratulated Ms McIntosh for her victory, and Labour for securing a third term. He also celebrated Liberal Democrat gains around the UK, and said: "This result is not a ringing endorsement for Labour. Their majority is coming down and I would hope that leads to a bit of humility."

:: Vale of York Election result

Anne McIntosh (Conservative) 26,025

David Scott (Labour) 12,313

Jeremy Wilcock (Lib Dem) 12,040

Updated: 10:38 Friday, May 06, 2005