THE Conservatives clung on to the West Worcestershire seat in a close election battle.

Sir Michael Spicer clinched his ninth successive term in the seat, despite Liberal Democrat challenger Tom Wells slashing his majority by more than half, from 5,374 to 2,475.

Tension was palpable at the Bank House Hotel as candidates waited for the final announcement, at 4am today (Friday).

After results were declared, a clearly relieved Sir Michael, who polled 20,959 votes, conceded that it was a hard-fought battle.

"The Liberal Democrats fought a very good campaign," he said, "Both sides fought cleanly and we did all we could to win."

Sir Michael, who has held the seat since 1974, said he was delighted to take up the challenge once again.

"I pledge now to represent my constituents as assiduously as I have in the past."

As news of the Conservative victory was announced, Tom Wells insisted the Liberal Democrats in West Worcestershire were here to stay.

"I feel committed to the people of Worcestershire and am delighted with tonight's result.

"I want to say thank you to everyone that has made this happen for us."

Labour candidate Qamar Bhatti polled 4,945 votes, a drop from Labour's 2001 turnout of 6,725.

Mr Bhatti, from Birmingham, said he had thoroughly enjoyed the campaign.

"I've been welcomed here with open arms by everybody in the constituency, right across the parties.

"It's been a vibrant and civilised campaign."

UK Independence Party candidate, Caroline Bovey, with 1,590 votes, said: "This is an excellent result for the party."

She added she would continue to promote the party's message to keep Britain out of the EU.

Green Party's Malcolm Victory, with 1,099 votes, said people did not think about the environment when voting.

"People don't want to know about the environment now, they want to defer it for future generations," he said.

"That's why we got 1,100 votes."

This year's overall turnout rose to 71.12 per cent, compared with 2001's figure just more than 67 per cent, of these, 6,202 were postal votes.

Of 47,232 votes cast, 162 ballot papers were rejected.

Final result: West Worcestershire - Conservative hold.

Sir Michael Spicer, Conservative, 20,959, Tom Wells, Liberal Democrat, 18,484, Qamar Bhatti, Labour, 4,945, Caroline Bovey, UK Independence Party, 1,590, Malcolm Victory, Green, 1,099.

Turnout: 71.12 per cent. Majority - 2,475.

Malcolm Victory and Caroline Bovey lose their deposits.

A STARTLING 77 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote in the Leominster Constituency and they returned their Conservative MP Bill Wiggin with 25,407 votes.

Mr Wiggin secured more than twice the number of votes of his nearest rival, the Liberal Democrat, Caroline Williams, with 12,220.

Mr Wiggin mobilised his voters on a ticket of cleaner hospitals, better school discipline, and lower taxes.

"I'm delighted with the result, it's a tremendous compliment to be returned with an increased majority after the work I have put in over the last four years," he said.

The count was held at the Bridge Street Leisure Centre.

Among the disappointed candidates was the UK Independence Party's Peter Whyte-Venables, who failed to make any ground on the 2001 General Election result.

He said his team had delivered 20,000 leaflets around the constituency in the run-up, but to no avail.

"I'm very disappointed, especially because we failed to beat the 2001 count," said Mr Whyte-Venables.

Green Party candidate Felicity Norman was disappointed with her share of 2,191.

"Our vote didn't quite materialise, but it was still an improvement on the last election.

"We will have Green candidates at the next election. I might stand, but perhaps it will be my daughter," said Mrs Norman.

Labour's candidate, Paul Bell, said the Iraq War and immigration were the two primary issues where his party had lost out in Leominster, but he was still happy.

"I'm quite pleased with the result, we only lost 300 votes on the 2001 election.

"On the doorstep it's the Iraq War and immigration which people have been talking about.

"Mr Blair took us to war - people like me didn't support the war, but he is the leader of my party and that's all I can say," he said.

Final result: LEOMINSTER - Conservative hold.

Bill Wiggin, Con 25,407,

Caroline Williams, Lib Dem, 12,220, Paul Bell, Lab 7,424, Felicity Norman, Green Party 2,191 - loses deposit, Peter Whyte-Venables UKIP, 1,551 - loses deposit.

Across the border in Gloucestershire, the Conservatives regained the Forest of Dean seat they lost to Labour in the 1997 landslide.

With the sitting MP, Diana Organ, retiring from the Commons, Labour put up Isabel Owen but faced a strong challenge from Mark Harper, who had already made gains for the party in 2001.

He has now secured a 2,000+ majority on a turnout of almost 71 per cent. Newent's Patricia Hill came fourth for the UK Independence Party, following by another Newent resident, Stephen Tweedie, representing the Green Party.

Result: Forest of Dean: Conservative gain from Labour.

Mark Harper, Conservative, 19,474, Isabel Owen, Labour, 17,425, Chris Coleman, Liberal Democrat, 8,185, Patricia Hill, UK Independence Party, 1,140, Stephen Tweedie, Green, 991, Anthony Reeve, Independent, 300, Gerald Morgan, English Parliamentary Party, 125.

Majority 2,049. Turn-out 47,640.