PRESTON Borough Council is set for a major reshuffle following last Thursday's elections which left the Conservatives badly depleted and facing the loss of their Mayor elect.

Labour remains in control with 32 councillors, having gained one seat overall, and though the Conservative group is still the main opposition with 13 seats, it now has just one more councillor than the Lib Dems.

The third party is proving a force to be reckoned with, gaining four new seats: Sharoe Green; Cadley; Larches; and Preston Rural West.

Lib Dem leader Coun Ronald Marshall said: "We are absolutely over the moon about the results."

And the shock result of the poll was that Conservative Mayor elect Audrey Scott lost her Sharoe Green seat after she was beaten by Lib dem John Whittle.

Mrs Scott confessed: "I wasn't beaten by the Lib Dems candidate, I was beaten by my own Government. A lot of my colleagues were lucky to hang on."

After emergency meetings in the Town Hall this week, the new Mayor elect was named as Lib Dem Leader Ronald Marshall.

One woman who is celebrating this week is former council leader Valerie Wise who, after being ousted out from Central Ward, won the seat for Tulketh. She said: "This is the electorate giving me a vote of confidence and all my friends who support me feel exactly the same."

Former Labour councillor Gerry Walmsley lost his Larches seat to Lib Dem Allan Foster who has campaigned in the area for a pedestrian crossing on Blackpool road, after losing his son in a road accident.

Coun Tony Reid held on to his Riversway seat but has lost his deputy leadership after the group this week voted to give Ribbleton councillor Peter Rankin the job.

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