THE Conservatives have retained control of Wiltshire County Council following last Thursday's local elections. They increased the number of seats by one to 28.

Their nearest rivals, the Liberal Democrats, gained four more seats to bring their number up to 16, although the group leader Trevor Carbin lost the Whorwellsdown Hundred seat in West Wiltshire to the Conservative candidate.

The Lib Dems took the two extra seats created at this year's

election, in Salisbury South and Trowbridge East.

The Labour party saw no change as three councillors were elected including Margaret Taylor in

Devizes North. Former Labour group leader Ricky Rogers, who stood down from the county council in 1997, was re-elected to the council as he won the Salisbury West seat. The number of Independents is two, compared to four before the election.

Virtually every seat has had some kind of boundary change making it very difficult to work out shifts in political popularity.

How they stand: Con: 28; Lib Dem: 16; Lab: 3; Ind: 2.