THE Conservatives have taken a firm hold of power on Winchester City Council with a string of victories across the district.

The party increased their majority to 11 seats, taking two from the Liberal Democrats on a day which saw them lose their leader.

Today's declarations started when Cllr Kelsie Learney, Lib Dem group leader, lost her Littleton and Harestock seat to Tory Paul Twelftree.

It set in motion a string of Tory wins, including a win over Labour in St John and All Saints, where veteran councillor Chris Pines is retiring.

The Conservatives won 15 of the 20 seats up for grabs, with a total of five gained and 10 held.

They now hold 33 of the total 57 seats - seven up from last year - with the Lib Dems dropping from 24 to 22, and Labour down to two from three.

Conservative councillor Ernie Jeffs, who retained his Alresford seat with 2,075 votes, said: “It was a fantastic result.

“We've been waiting for that [majority] - it's been most of the millennium.”

The Lib Dems held on to four wards - St Luke, Wickham, St Paul and Whiteley.