LEADERSHIP of West Wiltshire District Council lies in the hands of four independent and two Labour councillors after the Liberal Democrats lost overall control following 12 years in power.

The Lib Dems and Conservatives finished neck and neck with 19 councillors each, but needed 23 to take an overall majority.

The council's future now rests on the outcome of negotiations with the Independent and Labour councillors over the next few days.

Both main parties were due to hold group meetings this week for talks over power sharing.

Election battles in the district saw 10 councillors lose their seats including prominent Lib Dems Grace Hill, Mary Stacey, Alison Irving and Horace Prickett.

Mrs Irving was chairman of the council while Mr Prickett was the council's service delivery portfolio holder and the council's face of recycling.

Others to lose out were Lib Dems Marcus Francis, Gordon King and David Lovell, along with Labour's Davina Griffin, and Conservatives Peter Fuller and Bill Hurd.

Trowbridge Drynham was hotly contested with three standing councillors vying for two seats. Marcus Francis and Grace Hill lost out to Conservative leader Graham Payne and new councillor Gerald Burnam.

Cllr Hill, a county councillor who had been on the district council for 12 years, said: "We are disappointed to lose our seats but we have enjoyed our time on the council. I will certainly continue to serve as a county councillor for the next two years unless I do something really naughty or die."

Trowbridge Adcroft and Trowbridge College remained in the hands of the Lib Dems, with councillors Tom James, Nicholas Blakemore, and Jeff Osborn retaining their seats and town councillor Stephen Squires joining them. Jennifer Murrison, wife of MP Andrew Murrison, failed in her bid to take a seat in Trowbridge Adcroft.

The Lib Dems gained a seat at Trowbridge Park with Trowbridge mayor Andrew Bryant ousting Conservative Peter Fuller who was elected to the ward in 1999 and represented Drynham from 1983 to 1991. Cllr Stephen Oldrieve (Lib Dem) kept his seat.

One of the tightest battles was fought in Trowbridge John of Gaunt where there were just eight votes between first, second and third places.

Conservative John Knight beat Liberal Democrat leader Bob Brice by one vote. Cllr Brice only just retained his seat with third placed candidate Graeme Hawley polling just seven votes behind.

Mary Stacey lost her seat despite polling only 34 votes less than first placed Conservative John Knight.

The Conservatives took the previously Lib Dem seat of Summerham which covers Bulkington, Great Hinton, Keevil, Steeple Ashton and West Ashton. The ward boasts the highest turnout in the district with 50.39 per cent of the electorate turning out to vote.

Trevor Carbin (Lib Dem) held on to his newly expanded Paxcroft seat and has been joined by Independent councillor Ernie Clark, chairman of Hilperton Parish Council. The ward now covers Hilperton, Staverton, and Semington.

Turnout across the district averaged at about 34 per cent with the average turnout in the Trowbridge town wards 26 per cent.