THE Conservatives have seized control of Ryedale District Council after a night of by-election disaster for the Liberal Democrats.

The Tories picked up six seats when the results of the poll were announced overnight, giving them 20 councillors on the 30-seat authority.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems lost six seats as they slumped from being the second-largest party on the council to fourth place, behind the Liberals and independents.

The result means one party has overall command of the council for the first time since 1999, but turnout was just 33 per cent.

Among the Lib Dem casualties were husband and wife team Howard and Di Keal, who lost their seats in Norton East and Norton West respectively, while their colleagues Jane Wilford (Amotherby), Marian Hodgson (Derwent) and Hugh Spencer (Norton West) were also ousted. Meanwhile, the party failed to retain its seat in Thornton Dale.

The Conservatives lost one sitting councillor, Kirkbymoorside candidate Val Arnold, as she was defeated by the Liberals’ Sarah Ward. But the party made gains in Malton, where Ann Hopkinson claimed a seat previously held by the independents, and Pickering East, where Vivienne Knaggs triumphed over Liberal Sue Cowan.

The Liberals made up for that loss by claiming a seat in Pickering West, as their candidate Luke Richardson claimed victory over independent Natalie Warriner.

However, there was success for an independent candidate elsewhere as Peter Walker unseated Mr Keal in Norton East. The Lib Dems held onto their other seat in the ward, but lost both their councillors in neighbouring Norton West.

The Tories gathered 46 per cent of the vote and now have 20 councillors, with the Liberals and independents having four and the Lib Dems two.