TUNBRIDGE Wells turned an even deeper shade of blue at the elections as the Tories took yet another seat from Labour to leave them with just a single borough councillor.

Buoyant from a by-election win in Southborough and High Brooms in March, when they snatched one of three Labour seats in the ward, the Conservatives went back for more.

Joseph Simmons did the damage, beating David Belchem (Lab) into second place and isolating Labour group leader, Cllr Ronnie Ooi, holder of the third Southborough seat.

His party's gamble in deselecting sitting councillor Lorna Blackmore, from Tunbridge Wells, in favour of someone even more local spectacularly backfired.

Mr Belchem, a chef, lost to Tory Colin Bothwell by 25 votes in the by-election, and to Mr Simmons, a married man with a daughter, by 28 votes in the latest ballot.

To compound Labour's misery, it saw candidates trailing behind the UK Independence Party in two wards and the Green Party in another.

Labour's woes were the only real talking point in a night which otherwise was as predictable as daybreak.

Full results were as follows:* denotes sitting councillor:

Benenden & Cranbrook Eleanor North

* (Con) 1135Winifred Honnywill (Lib Dem) 740, Oliver Clement (UKIP) 294, Turnout 42.9% Electorate 5,102.

Brenchley & Horsmonden Nicholas Fairrie* (Con) 1016, Arthur Charlesworth (Lib Dem) 421, Matthew Robertson (Green) 209. Turnout 44.14% Electorate 3,763.

Broadwater Barbara Cobbold* (Con) 561. Jamie Johnson (Lib Dem) 440, Victor Webb (UKIP)120, Richard Maryan (Lab) 94. Turnout 40.9% Electorate 2,969

Capel Hugh Patterson* (Lib Dem) 496, Paul Green (Con) 217 Turnout 42.29%. Electorate 1,707.

Culverden David Wakefield* (Con) 985, Andrew Ollive (Lib Dem)420, David Kirkham (Lab) 206, Turnout 37.3% Electorate 4,856.

Goudhurst & Lamberhurst Colin Barry Noakes* (Con) 933, John Billingham(Lib Dem) 406. Turnout 42.75% Electorate 3,174.

Hawkhurst and Sandhurst Beverley Palmer* (Con) 1183Keith Brown (Lib Dem) 457David Burgess (Lab) 166. Turnout 41.9%. Electorate: 4,363.

Pantiles & St Mark's Leonard Horwood*

(Con) 1274, Peter Hillier (Lib Dem) 648 Turnout 40.4% Electorate 4,795, ParkPeter Bulman* (Con) 1204, Alan Bullion (Lib Dem) 681 Storm Poorun(Green), 165 Jae Fassam (Lab) 146, Turnout 42.37% Electorate 5,211.

Pembury Paul Barrington-King* (Con) 1,112 Lorraine Braam (Lib Dem) 651, Toby Allwen (Green) 163, Turnout 43.1%. Electorate 4,524.

Rusthall Robert Wratten* (Lib Dem) 691, James Perry (Con) 377. Patricia Theophanides (UKIP) 145, Sarah Carpenter (Lab) 126, Turnout 38.51% Electorate 3,487.

St James Mary Lewis* (Lib Dem) 717, Rosemary Fitzherbert (Con) 312, Brian Clenshaw (Lab) 160.

St John's Simon Bannister* (Lib Dem) 715, Brian Ransley (Con) 641, Peter Ross-Skedd (Lab) 147, Phyllis Leslie (Green) 126, David Wilson (Ind)76.

Sherwood Frank Williams* (Con) 792, Ian Carvell (Lab) 375, Cicilia Bannister (Lib Dem) 317. Turnout 31.5% Electorate 4,732.

Southborough & High Brooms Joseph Simmons (Con) 682, David Belchem (Lab), 654 Marguerita Morton (Lib Dem) 277, Chris Godson (Green) 143, Turnout 34.2%. Electorate 5,141.

Speldhurst & Bidborough Jennifer Paulson-Ellis * (Con) 1373, Jacqueline Cassidy (Lib Dem) 568, Turnout 44.7% Electorate 4,403.

The results mean that of the 48 seats on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, 35 are now held by the Conservatives, 12 remain with the Liberal Democrats and just one with Labour.