Both the Otley and Wharfedale, and the Aireborough wards have new Conservative councillors.

In the Otley and Wharfedale ward - which had the highest turnout in Leeds - Conservative candidate Nigel Francis inflicted a crushing defeat on former city councillor John Eveleigh.

Francis polled 3,420 votes - over 1,000 more than his nearest rival.

Mr Eveleigh, took 2,268 votes and Liberal Democrat James Hoskins gained 1,793, while Green Party candidate Paul Marchant took 262.

The Aireborough ward also saw a swing to Conservative, as Makhan Thakur won the previously Labour-held seat with 3,117 votes.

He beat Labour rival, former city councillor Tony Addison, by more than 470 votes. Mr Addison took 2,646 votes and Liberal Democrat Ian Hutton took 1,256 votes.

In the Horsforth ward, Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Townsley entered his fourth term of office after being returned to his seat by a majority of 619 votes.

The elections saw the controlling Labour group retain its large majority, but lose four seats, with both Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups making gains.

Among those losing seats, was the council's Deputy Leader, Alec Hudson, who lost out to Liberal Democrat rival Keith Willey.

The new composition of Leeds City Council includes 57 Labour councillors, 20 Liberal Democrat, 18 Conservative, three Green and one Independent.

More than 40 per cent of voters turned out in the Otley and Wharfedale ward.

Coun Francis, who also sits on Otley Town Council as an independent member, said: "I am, myself, pleased with the results. I just hope I can live up to expectations."

He said he had had strong support from voters in Arthington, and in the parts of Yeadon and Rawdon which fall within the Otley and Wharfedale ward.

Coun Francis said he was pleased at the Conservative gains across Leeds.

His seat was previously held by Labour councillor Phil Coyne, who did not stand for re-election. The other two seats in the ward are held by Conservative Clive Fox and Liberal Democrat Graham Kirkland.

Makham Thakur was delighted with his win in the Aireborough ward.

Councillor Thakur, a GP at Yeadon's Silver Lane Surgery, said he felt he had to campaign hard for the seat.

"It was a hard fight, because it is a very Labour-supporting area. Labour had the backing of the MP, Paul Truswell, and retiring councillor Moira Dunn has done some good work."

The seat was previously held by long-serving councillor Mrs Dunn, who did not stand for re-election. The turnout was also high in the Aireborough ward, with more than 37 per cent of the electorate voting last Thursday.

Coun Thakur says he intends to spend the coming weeks talking to residents to prioritise the issues they want him to take up as a councillor.

In Horsforth, Coun Townsley was delighted to increase his majority from the last election.

He said: "I'm absolutely over the moon and delighted. A couple of years ago, we sent people out to try to win seats elsewhere, and it kind of left the back door open here, although in the end, I still kept the seat.

The ward's two other councillors are also Liberal Democrats.

He defeated Conservative candidate Richard Hardcastle, who took 2,145 votes, Labour candidate Ted Hanley, with 1,110 votes, and Green candidate Andrea Binns, with 230 votes.

Coun Townsley says he hopes to see through a few long-running issues in the ward, including the changes to the Horsforth Ring Road roundabout, and work on The Broadway.