Lib Dem success in Whiteley

12.16.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 2nd May 2008

Cllr Therese Evans is congratulated by Prospective MP Liz Leffman following her re-election in Wickham and Knowle

Liberal Democrats in Meon Valley are celebrating a successful night at yesterday's local elections - with a major win in the former Conservative ward of Whiteley.

Vivian Achwal's victory in Whiteley is a massive boost after her defeat last year by just 19 votes. Her victory follows last week's revelations of a Tory activist being charged with suspected involvement in a proxy voting scam.

Councillor Therese Evans, Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Winchester City Council, was re-elected in Wickham ward by a majority of 415, while the result in the Havant Borough wards of Cowplain and Waterloo bucked the national trend by showing swings from the Tories to the Lib Dems.

Local Southwick resident Steve Nicholls lost out to the Conservatives in Boarhunt & Southwick by just 21 votes. The contest there proved even tighter than in 2004, when the Conservatives won by just 60. Meanwhile, Brandy Blunt increased the Lib Dem vote in Bishops Waltham from 261 last year to 553.

Liz Leffman, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Meon Valley, said: "This set of council results in Winchester and Havant shows the Liberal Democrats are a real force in Meon Valley.

"We have taken a massive seat from the Tories in Whiteley, have closed in on them in Boarhunt and Southwick and the Havant wards - bucking the national trend - and have made huge strides in Bishops Waltham, picking up an extra 292 votes."