ELECTION night triumph was bittersweet for Mid-Worcestershire's victorious Conservative candidate, Peter Luff.

On a night of bad news for the Conservative Party nationally, Mr Luff increased his majority from 9,412 to 10,627, despite the turnout falling from 74.32% in 1997 to just over 60%.

His victory was never in doubt as the votes were counted up at Pershore High School and speaking after the result was announced at 2.30am, Mr Luff described the local result as "a tremendous result for the Conservative Party in this constituency."

Like several of the other candidates, he bemoaned the low turnout and said: "Politics is not connecting with people and we must increase the turnout."

He felt his result reflected a greater sense of anger in rural areas than in urban ones over the Government's policies and said: "I have also worked the patch hard in the last four years and people have got to know me."

Liberal Democrat candidate Robert Browne, beaten into third place, said: "We are obviously disappointed. Our concentration now has to be on winning back control of Wychavon in two years' time."

David Bannister, for Labour, said his result was "very encouraging," and voiced his disappointment in the turnout, a view reflected by Tony Eaves from the UK Independence Party, who said: "I'm surprised that it would appear that people care so little about the future of the country with both the low turnout and the low support for the UK Independence Party."