IT S as you were in Crow Country, with MPs Oliver Heald and Andrew Lansley retaining their seats in the General Election. On a good night for the Conservatives, the two Tory MPs both retained their seats with healthy majorities. Mr Heald, MP for the N

IT'S "as you were" in Crow Country, with MPs Oliver Heald and Andrew Lansley retaining their seats in the General Election.

On a good night for the Conservatives, the two Tory MPs both retained their seats with healthy majorities.

Mr Heald, MP for the North East Herts seat, which covers Royston and the surrounding villagers, secured almost 27,000 votes, with his majority rising to 15,194.

Liberal Democrat Hugh Annand was second with 11,801 votes and Labour candidate David Kirkman polled 8,291.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) made great strides in the area, with their candidate Adrianne Smyth securing 2075 votes, an increase of over 500 since 2005. The Green Party's Rosemary Bland got a total of 875.

Turn out was 70.06 per cent, a five per cent increase on 2005.

It was even higher in South Cambridgeshire, where 74.9 per cent of registered people cast their votes.

Mr Lansley's majority was down slightly, but he still polled 27,995, 7,838 ahead of nearest challenger, Liberal Democrat Sebastian Kindersley, who secured 20,157 votes.

Labour candidate Tariq Sadiq was third with 6,024 votes, while television presenter Robin Page, who ran as an independent, picked up 1,968 votes, ahead of UKIP's Helene Davies-Green, on 1,873, and Green Simon Saggers, on 1,039.