THE chairman of Rydale District Council was a high-profile casualty as the local elections produced drama and tension, but ultimately little change in the political make-up of the authority.

Pamela Anderson, the long-serving Conservative councillor and agent to Ryedale MP John Greenway, lost by 21 votes in the Amotherby ward to Liberal Democrat and Malton school teacher Jane Wilford.

Speaking after the result, Ms Anderson said: "I feel awful. Of course I'm disappointed, but let's just say it's not altogether unexpected. That's democracy and you can't win them all."

The electorate in the Sheriff Hutton ward, where feelings are running high over the controversial Orange phone mast sited in their village after a planning blunder by the district council, produced the biggest turnaround of the day.

In the last round of local elections back in 2003, Independent Alan Farnaby trounced the Conservative representative by 621 votes to 115.

This time the Independent candidate Gillian Stilwell lost by 11 votes to local garage owner and Conservative candidate Robert Wood, who was recently struck down with a brain tumour and had to spend a month in hospital.

He spent time in hospitals in York, Hull and Easingwold as he made his recovery.

So he called on a dependable duo as back-up to knock on doors and speak to voters on his behalf.

His wife, Hazel, and son, Simon, took on the burden of getting Mr Wood elected to the authority.

They trawled the area speaking to voters to persuade them to vote for Mr Wood as he recovered.

Mr Wood said: "The tumour slowed me down a bit, but I had a good team working on my behalf.

"It was not something I arranged by prior appointment and I was in hospital for four-and-a-half weeks.

"But I was tremendously pleased to win the seat and the result has given me a boost."

Adding to the twist and turns of the day, candidates for the Malton ward faced a recount and as eight of them fought for three seats.

After a tense wait, Independent Coun Paul Andrews received 485 votes, beating Liberal Democrat Stephen Preston by a four-vote margin to win the third seat behind Liberal Democrat Lindsay Burr and Independent Tony Hemesley.

Mr Preston said: "It was a fair fight and we fought hard but I want to move on. I have no problem with the result."

Four years ago all three victorious candidates in the Malton ward were Liberal Democrats - now only former council chairman Lindsay Burr will sport the yellow rosette.

As with the outgoing council, no party has a clear majority. The Conservatives gained two seats to leave them with 15, the Liberal Democrats have nine, and the Independents and others have a total of six.

The new council will be sworn in on May 17.

  • Lyn Brown