THE Tories trotted home to victory in the Craven District Council local elections - holding onto the seven seats with which they entered the campaign.

It means the political make-up of Craven Council remains unchanged. The Tories hold 17 seats and remain in overall control of the 30-seat council, the Independents having seven, Labour three, with single wards in the hands of the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Ukip.

But the Tories had a nail-biting time in Settle and Ribblebanks where they came closest ever in the ward to being toppled by Labour.

Simon Lord, a teacher at Giggleswick Primary School and a Settle Town Councillor, notched up 610 votes - just 64 short of ousting sitting candidate Tory David Staveley.

"I'm very happy about the result. It's the closest ever Labour has come to defeating the Tories in the ward. I expected David Staveley to do well. He is well liked and it's a strong Tory area," said Mr Lord, who has also served twice as Settle Town Mayor.

He was formerly a youth worker and this September he is expecting to take up a teaching post at Settle College.

The Greens left the count in Skipton Town Hall on Friday feeling proud of their campaign in Ingleton and Clapham where Sarah Wiltshire attracted 397 votes, beating Labour's Janine Bickerstaff and Tony Macaulay. The ward was comfortably won by senior Tory Carl Lis who took home 701 votes.He is also a member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

There were no changes in South Craven where the two longstanding Independents galloped home with substantial majorities.

Stephen Place took 623 votes in Sutton, his opponent Labour's Tony Alderson gaining 177.

With 657 votes Phillip Barrett retained Glusburn from opponents Patricia Bartlett, Conservativ,e and Labour's Paul Routledge.

The two UKIP representatives, Bernard Akin standing in Penyghent, and Tony Smith in Settle and Ribblebanks between them took just 79 votes.

None of the urban wards in the Skipton area were being contested this year - only a third of the council hold elections each year.