THE Liberal Democrat leader on Cherwell District Council lost his seat as the Conservatives comfortably held on to power.

Nick Cotter lost to Conservative Lynn Pratt in Bicester South to take his party’s seats from four to three.

He said: “It was a rather disappointing night for the Liberal Democrats both locally and across the country.”

Mrs Pratt said: “Thank you to the residents of Bicester for putting their faith in me.”

The Conservatives lost two seats to Labour, taking their total from 44 to 43, but still enough to retain control on the 50-seat council.

Labour now has four seats, overtaking the Lib Dems as the main opposition.

First-time Labour councillor Andrew Beere won the Banbury Grimsbury and Castle seat from sitting Conservative councillor Chris Smithson by just 15 votes.

Former district councillor Patrick Cartledge retook Banbury Ruscote, defeating Conservative Keith Strangwood. He lost the seat in 2008.

Mr Beere said: “I will do what I can for Grimsbury and to keep [Conservative MP for North Oxfordshire] Tony Baldry and his friends on their toes.”

Labour group leader Les Sibley, who was elected for the fifth time for Bicester West, pledged to campaign to overturn controversial council parking changes.

The hourly rate has risen by 10p and disabled and evening parking charges have been introduced in council-run car parks.

Conservative council leader Barry Wood said: “Obviously we are sorry to lose a couple of seats to Labour, but they are coming back in the national polls.

“For us it’s business as usual.”

Liberal Democrat Alaric Rose scraped in by 14 votes to retain the Kidlington North seat.

A total of 16 seats were up for election for the Bodicote-based council. All other sitting councillors retained their seats.

Mike Kerford-Byrnes, Conservative, replaced Luke Annaly, who stepped down from The Astons and Heyford.

Green Party spokesman Alastair White said: “We have started again virtually from scratch and have received a respectable number of votes.”

The Conservatives got 12 seats with 51 per cent of the vote while Labour got three with 29 per cent, Lib Dems one with 14 per cent, The Green Party got none with five per cent while independents got none with less than one per cent.

The turnout was 37 per cent.