ROBERT Heseltine, who had to resign as a Craven councillor after being

convicted of 12 charges of falsifying accounts, made a triumphant return

on election night.

Mr Heseltine easily won a three way contest in the Skipton South ward to

return to the council three years after he was forced to resign after

admitting falsifying his accounts while chairman of the Yorkshire Dales

National Park Authority.

Standing as an Independent, he polled 412 votes, more than 200 ahead of

his nearest rival, Frances Cook, another Independent who was defending

her seat.

It was a good night for the Independents, who won two seats from the

Tories. Newsagent Mike Hill took Skipton East from Pam Heseltine while

dry stone waller Robert Mason took West Craven from John Binns.

The Conservatives held on to four seats and the Liberal Democrats

retained the only seat they were defending.

The results mean no political party has overall control of the council.

The Conservatives are the largest single group with 11 seats but the

council is run by an alliance of Independents and Liberal Democrats, who

have 10 and nine seats respectively.

* denotes sitting councillor

BENTHAM

Manuel Camacho (Ind) 490

* Gerald Hurtley (Con) 521

Con Hold

EMBSAY-WITH-EASTBY

* Andy Quinn (Con) 404

Dennis Hall (Ind) 199

Con Hold

GARGRAVE WITH MALHAMDALE

* David Crawford (Con) 596

Andrew Wood (Lib Dem) 422

Con Hold

SKIPTON EAST

*Pamela Heseltine (Con) 320

Mike Hill (Ind) 423

Darren Moorby (Lib Dem) 222

Ind gain from Con

SKIPTON NORTH

Andrew Rankine (Lib Dem) 466

* Marcia Turner (Con) 604

Con Hold

SKIPTON SOUTH

* Frances Cook (Ind) 195

Robert Heseltine (Ind) 412

Ken Crook (Con) 110

Ind hold

SKIPTON WEST

* Polly English (Lib Dem) 473

Paul Whitaker (Con) 233

Lib Dem hold

WEST CRAVEN

* John Binns (Con) 291

Robert Mason (Ind) 301

Ind gain from Con