Hertsmere's ruling Conservatives gained an extra seat at last night's borough council elections.

Labour lost control of Tim Sandle's Brookmeadow seat, once a stronghold, to Tory Jeremy Segall.

In Borehamwood Hillside new Tory councillor Hannah David ran in what had been Lorna Ward's Labour seat, and won it with a majority of 235 over this year's Labour candidate, Town Mayor Peter Hedges.

Labour's Ann Harrison ran in what was Martin Heywood's Conservative seat and won it, but in Bushey Conservative Carey Keates lost his seat to Lib Dem Kim Boughton, who scraped in with a majority of 59 votes.

All other seats were held, with the Tories retaining complete control of Potters Bar and Aldenham, and Spencer Pitfield holding his Bushey seat.

The turn out was unusually high for Hertsmere this year, ranging from 30 per cent in Borehamwood's Cowley Hill to 44 per cent for Aldenham East. Last year it was as low as 15 per cent in some Borehamwood wards.

The vote leaves Labour on level pegging with the Lib Dems for the first time. Both groups have seven seats, and the Tories are steaming ahead with 25 seats.

Hertsmere's results reflected a disastrous night for Labour nationally, as they were put in third place behind the Tories and the Lib Dems.