THE CONSERVATIVES have secured an overall majority on Worcester City Council on a day which saw Labour lose four wards.

Big victories for the Conservatives in the city’s Gorse Hill, Nunnery and Warndon wards as well as a big win for the Green Party in the Arboretum ward meant Labour lost four seats leaving the Tories with an overall majority of one.

Labour also lost veteran councillor Roger Berry in Gorse Hill, a ward he has represented for 25 years, as well as former parliamentary candidate and deputy leader Joy Squires on another dreadful day for the party.

James Stanley, who won in Gorse Hill in the county council elections, claimed another victory for the Conservatives in the area which is now represented by two Tory councillors having been a Labour stronghold for years.

Tory Jim Carver was victorious in the Nunnery ward with fellow Conservative Owen Cleary beating sitting Labour councillor Ceri Stalker by just 12 votes in Warndon.

Twelve wards were up for grabs on the city council with the results meaning the Conservatives now have 18 councillors, compared to Labour’s 11 with four Greens and two Lib Dems.

Karen Lewing was victorious in the Arboretum ward defeating Joy Squires in a huge win for the Green Party.

Green leader Louis Stephen was re-elected in Battenhall and Neil Laurenson was also re-elected again in St Stephen.

The Liberal Democrats continued their resurgence in Claines with Karen Lawrance claiming victory for the party.

The three-councillor ward is now represented by two Lib Dems having been all Conservative two years ago.

Labour’s Lynn Denham, fresh from victory in the county council’s Rainbow Hill division, was re-elected in the Cathedral ward but it was close with the win coming just 40 votes ahead of Shafaz Ditta.

Robyn Norfolk ensure St John’s stayed with Labour and Labour group leader and deputy council leader Adrian Gregson was re-elected in Rainbow Hill.

Alan Amos was re-elected in Bedwardine for the Conservatives and Simon Geraghty was re-elected again in St Clement.