IT took less than two hours on Friday morning for the Tories to ensure continued control of Royston Town Council. By the time the count had been completed the party had regained its vice-like hold on the town council. The party has now controlled the town

IT took less than two hours on Friday morning for the Tories to ensure continued control of Royston Town Council.

By the time the count had been completed the party had regained its vice-like hold on the town council.

The party has now controlled the town council for more than 30 years.

They claimed 13 seats in the elections - one less than four years ago when the town council was previously contested.

Liberal Democrat candidates Liz Beardwell and Robert Inwood gained the remaining two seats.

For the Liberal Democrats it was part of a revival in Royston. The party had not contested the town council elections four years ago.

But in spite of gaining the two seats, there was hardly a drastic change in the political landscape.

The Tories have some new members in their ranks - alongside the experience of the likes of Cllr Peter Burt and Cllr Elizabeth Gaillard, who at the end of the four-year term will have served 20 years or more on the town council.

Missing from the town council ranks will be Labour's Les Baker, who during the past 16 years has been both a town councillor and for a six-year spell a district councillor on North Herts District Council.

He was Mayor of Royston in 1995-96.

In the Tory ranks there are a number of new members.

One is Lindsay Davidson, the wife of defeated Tory district council candidate Bill Davidson, who gained success in the Heath ward.

The Heath ward, too, saw Cllr Rod Kennedy re-elected, even though he has been in New Zealand on an extended holiday during the past two months.

There are three new councillors representing the Tories in the Meridian ward alongside re-elected members Cllr Mike Harrison and Cllr Peter Lill.

The new members are Paul Grimes, Robert Smith and Marguerite Phillips.

Sitting members who stood down from the town council included Cllr Fiona Hill, who retained her seat in North Herts District Council, and Cllr Tony Hunter, another district councillor who is also Herts county councillor for the North Herts division.

The shape of the new town council will be revealed on Monday evening when a mayor to succeed Cllr Bill Prime will be elected, and a new committee set up will be announced.