Tories grabbed another three seats from the Lib Dems at yesterday's borough council elections.

The party increased its number of seats from 41 to 44, leaving the Lib Dem group with four members on Tunbridge Wells council. The overall turnout by voters was 38.84 per cent.

Conservative gains were made in Capel, Rusthall and St John's wards, with Labour failing to gain a foothold on the council.

In St John's, Tory newcomer Tracy Moore took the seat by only eight votes. It was previously held by Lib Dem Simon Bannister who had stepped down.

Mrs Moore, a mother of three, said: "I am surprised. We thought it was going to be close, but I did not expect it to be this close."

In Benenden and Cranbrook, Sean Holden retained the seat for Tories, beating Independent Peter Jempson into second place.

MP Greg Clark (Con) said afterwards: "I am thrilled and delighted that we have held all our own seats and gained three extra seats from the Lib Dems.

"We have a lot of new, fresh young candidates who are standing for the first time."

Lib Dem group leader, Cllr David Neve, said: "There were four Lib Dem seats up for re-election. I expected to lose all four, but it is a victory for local politics and local action that we maintained St James'."

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

Benenden and Cranbrook, Brenchley and Horsmonden, Brenchley and Horsmonden, Broadwater, Capel, Culverden, Goudhurst and Lamberhurst, Hawkhurst and Sandhurst, Pantiles and St Mark's, Park, Pembury, Rusthall, Sherwood, Southborough and High Brooms, Speldhurst and Bidborough, St James', St John's.

Benenden and Cranbrook

Oliver Clement (UKIP) 67

Sean Holden (Con) 836

Peter Jempson (Ind) 599

Francis Rook (Lib Dem) 522

Result: Con Hold

Brenchley and Horsmonden

Marcella Callow (Con) 1,011

Isobel Kerrigan (Lib Dem) 608

Result: Con hold

Broadwater

Jean-Luc Bressard (Lib Dem) 294

Barbara Cobbold (Con) 637

Result: Con hold

Capel

Hugh Patterson (Lib Dem) 337

Brian Ransley (Con) 422

Result: Con gain

Culverden

Ronen Basu (Con) 919

Brian Leslie (Green) 518

Patricia Theophanides (UKIP) 172

Result: Con hold

Goudhurst and Lamberhurst

John Billingham (Lib Dem) 227

Barry Noakes (Con) 902

Victor Webb (UKIP) 99

Result: Con hold

Hawkhurst and Sandhurst

Keith Brown (Lib Dem) 297

David Burgess (Lab) 102

Jeffrey King (UKIP) 166

Beverley Palmer (Con) 1,120

Result: Con hold

Pantiles and St Mark's

Leonard Horwood (Con)

Result: Ward not contested, Leonard Horwood wins. Con hold.

Park

Peter Bulman (Con) 1,161

Shaun Carey (Green) 244

Peter Hillier (Lib Dem) 464

Result: Con hold

Pembury

Paul Barrington-King (Con) 1,230

Christopher Hoare (UKIP) 110

Jacqueline Prance (Lib Dem) 472

Result: Con hold

Rusthall

Robert Atwood (Con) 505

June Lavinia Moore (UKIP) 129

Bob Prance (Lib Dem) 380

Tim Probert (Lab) 166

Result

Sherwood

Lorna Blackmore (Lab) 211

Peter Lewis (Lib Dem) 347

Frank Williams (Con) 789

Result: Con hold

Southborough and High Brooms

Eileen Gayler (UKIP) 125

Marguerita Morton (Lib Dem) 235

Ronnie Ooi (Lab) 598

Joseph Simmons (Con) 695

Result: Con hold

Speldhurst and Bidborough

Peter Fasey (UKIP) 152

David Stanyer (Con) 1,345

Ian Williams (Lib Dem) 331

Result: Con hold

St James'

Beatrice Lewis (Lib Dem) 694

Christopher Luke (UKIP) 101

Alan McDermott (Con) 390

Result: Lib Dem hold

St John's

Alan Bullion (Lib Dem) 786

Phyllis Leslie (Green) 151

Tracy Moore (Con) 794

Result: Con gain