THE Tories increased their majority on Swale Borough Council by one seat.

Leader Andrew Bowles was up for election in his Boughton and Courtenay ward and gained the most votes during the evening - 1,112.

The make-up of the council is now Tories - 27 seats, Labour - nine seats, Liberal Democrats - nine seats and Independents - six seats.

Cllr Bowles said: "The saga of the chief executive Mr Bilsborough did not affect voting - I only heard it mentioned twice in three weeks of solidly knocking on doors.

"The results are a ringing endorsement of Tory policies in Swale and a vote against Gordon Brown's policies."

Among the Tories' other successes was the Minster Cliffs ward on Sheppey where Adrian Crowther took the seat from sitting Liberal Democrat councillor, Mike Brown, by 268 votes.

And Labour's Jackie Constable lost her Queenborough and Halfway seat to the Tories' Paul Hayes.

He had 737 votes and she had 618 votes.

Over at the Davington Priory ward in Faversham it was a Liberal Democrat gain for Michael Henderson.

Adding colour to the evening was the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, who doubled their votes to 110 in the Minster Cliffs ward, where their candidate Mad Mike Young said: "It's an outrage. My main policy is a manned moon mission from Minster using ladders."

Click on the name of your ward to skip to the full results:

Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, Chalkwell, Davington Priory, East Downs, Iwade and Lower Halstow, Kemsley, Milton Regis, Minster Cliffs, Murston, Queenborough and Halfway, Roman, Sheppey Central, St Ann's, St Michael's, Watling

Abbey

Martin Bellis (Lib Dem) 182

Jenny Gurney (Faversham First!) 311

Trevor Payne (Lab) 367

Anita Walker (Con) 512

Result: Con held

Boughton and Courtenay

Andrew Bowles (Con) 1,112

Fran Rehal (Lab) 234

Timothy Valentine (Green Party) 226

Result: Con held

Chalkwell

Derek Carnell (Con) 538

David Spurling (Lib Dem) 170

Ghlin Whelan (Lab) 577

Result: Lab held

Davington Priory

Brenda Chester (Lab) 121

Michael Henderson (Lib Dem) 495

John Winlow (Con) 235

Result: Lib Dem gain

East Downs

Colin Prescott (Con) 683

Catherine Read (Lab) 197

Result: Con held

Iwade and Lower Halstow

Dave Manning (Lib Dem) 266

Ben Stokes (Con) 613

Ruth Walker-Grice (Lab) 168

Result: Con held

Kemsley

Susan Gent (Con) 855

June Hammond (Lib Dem) 153

Martin McCusker (Lab) 296

Result:Con held

Milton Regis

Andrew Crayford (Ind) 57

Michael Dendor (Con) 240

Elvie Lowe (Lib Dem) 428

Sheikh Mihand (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 46

Tony Winckless (Lab) 370

Result: Lib Dem held

Minster Cliffs

Mike Brown (Lib Dem) 599

Adrian Crowther (Con) 827

Libby Tucker (Lab) 286

'Mad' Mike Young (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 110

Result: Con gain

Murston

Dave Banks (Lib Dem) 552

Patricia Martin (Con) 230

Ken Rowles (Lab) 169

Result: Lid Dem held

Queenborough and Halfway

Jackie Constable (Lab) 618

Amanda Elliott (Sheppey First!) 489

Paul Hayes (Con) 737

Result: Con gain

Roman

Mike Haywood (Lab) 633

Anne Jenkins (Lib Dem) 131

Mike Whiting (Con) 324

Result: Lab hold

Sheppey Central

Andy Booth (Con) 568

David Sargent (Lab) 254

Paul Sturdgess (Sheppey First!) 852

Result: Sheppey First gain

St Ann's

Mark Baldock (Con) 582

Paul Durkin (Lab) 306

David Evans (Lib Dem) 154

Findlay MacDonald (Faversham First!) 378

Result: Con held

St Michael's

Derek Conway (Con) 665

Brenda Hammond (Lib Dem) 566

Christine Truelove (Lab) 229

Result: Con gain

Watling

Philip Dangerfield (Lab) 219

Paul Hurd (Lib Dem) 171

David Simmons (Con) 960

Tracey Smith (Faversham First!) 270

Result: Con hold