THE TORIES increased their majority by two on Swale Borough Council when all 16 results had been gathered in on a hot and exciting night in Sittingbourne's Wyvern Hall.

Tory leader Andrew Bowles retained his Boughton & Courtenay seat. He said afterwards: "It has been a brilliant night for us. We are moving in the right direction and are ready for Mr Blair when he decides to call an election."

Conservative candidate Anita Walker took the Abbey seat in Faversham from long-standing Labour councillor Peter Salmon.

And Tory Ben Stokes won the Iwade & Lower Halstow seat from sitting Liberal Democrat councillor Mary Goodger.

A notable win for Labour came in Queenborough & Halfway. Mayoress Jackie Constable took the seat from the Tories.

She said: "I'm delighted to be back on the council. I was born and bred in Queenborough and can now really do something for the town."

Full results:

ABBEY

Anita Walker (Con)....683

Peter Salmon (Lab)*...606

Con gain. Electorate 3,470. Turnout 38.15%

BOUGHTON & COURTENAY

Andrew Bowles (Con)*...1,134

June Hammond (Lib Dem).295

Teresa Rowe (Lab)......263

Con hold. Electorate 3,963. Turnout 42.94%

CHALKWELL

Ghlin Whelan (Lab)*...560

Derek Carnell (Con)...388

Diane Fellows (Lib Dem)...228

Lab hold. Electorate 3,496 Turnout 33.87%

DAVINGTON PRIORY

Brian Tovey (Con)*...429

Caroline MacDonald (Lab)...224

Con hold. Electorate 1,782. Turnout 36.98%

EAST DOWNS

Colin Prescott (Con)*...682

Catherine Read (Lab)...205

Con hold. Electorate 1,953. Turnout 46.23%

IWADE & LOWER HALSTOW

Ben Stokes (Con)...384

Mary Goodger (Lib Dem)*..342

Ken Stevens (Lab)...197

Con gain. Electorate 2,078. Turnout 44.46%

KEMSLEY

Sue Gent (Con)*...531

Keith Woollven (UKIP)...232

Tony Winckless (Lab)...184

Ken Stammers (Lib Dem)...114

Con hold. Electorate 3,863. Turnout 27.54%

MILTON REGIS

Elvie Lowe (Lib Dem)*...568

Phyllis Stevens (Lab)......365

Pat Martin (Con)...219

Sheikh Mihand (Loony)...57

Lib Dem hold. Electorate 3,215. Turnout 37.95%

MINSTER CLIFFS

Mike Brown (Lib Dem)*...725

Katherine Coles (Con)...684

Libby Tucker (Lab)...329

Mad Mike (Loony)...100

Lib Dem hold. Electorate 5,223. Turnout 45.24%

MURSTON

Dave Banks (Lib Dem)...585

Neil Patel (Con)...208

Ken Rowles (Lab)...187

Lib Dem hold. Electorate 3,447. Turnout 28.6%

QUEENBOROUGH & HALFWAY

Jackie Constable (Lab)...754

Ken Pugh (Con)...712

David Cassidy (Ind)...194

Colin Howe (Lib Dem)...141

Lab gain. Electorate 5.066. Turnout 35.57%

ROMAN

Mike Haywood (Lab)*...666

Mia Patel (Con)...297

David Spurling (Lib Dem)...60.

Lab hold. Electorate 3,386. Turnout 36.7%

SHEPPEY CENTRAL

Sandra Garside (Con)...738

John Crouch (Lab)...561

Christine Martin (Lib Dem)...291

Con hold. Electorate 5,020. Turnout 32.03%

ST ANN'S

Trevor Fentiman (Con)*...825

Paul Durkin (Lab)...350

Martin Bellis (Lib Dem)...324

Con hold. Electorate 3,635. Turnout 41.5%

ST MICHAEL'S

Brenda Hammond (Lib Dem)...566

Susan Norris (Con)...560

Eamonn Norton (Lab)...198

Lib Dem hold. Electorate 3,269. Turnout 41.08%

WATLING

David Simmons (Con)*...1,176

Ruth Hefferon (Lab)...457

Con hold. Electorate 3,699. Turnout 45.12%