Broadland District Council remained solidly blue in an as-you-were council result which nevertheless saw the ruling Conservatives increase their majorities in many seats.

However although the balance of power remains the same with Tories on 34 seats, the Lib Dems on 12 as before, the result saw the council's last remaining Independent councillor George Debbage lose out to the Tories in Blofield and South Walsham, while Labour gained a seat from the Tories in Sprowston Central.

It was a nervous day for the opposition Lib Dems, but there was to be no repeat of the backlash the party had seen both nationally and in neighbouring North Norfolk.

The party lost Horsford and Felthorpe, and Spowston East ward to the Tories, but it gained a seat from the Tories in Taverham North, and also in Wroxham, and Spixworth and St Faiths.

But former group leader Stuart Beadle and his wife Veronica both lost their seats, bringing to an end political careers spanning more than two decades.

The most exciting result was in Acle which went to the Tories on the toss of a coin after Conservative Lana Hempsall and Independetn Nigl Law both polled 407 votes.

Meanwhile the council had to reannounce the Aylsham result after mistakenly declaring that Lib Dem David Harrison had failed to secure re-election.

The overall turnout for the Broadland elections was up more than 10pc, from 36pc to 46.5pc.

But with the contest now over the most intriguing elections may come in the coming days as both the Tory and Lib Dem groups hold group meetings to decide their new leadership teams.

Result: Conservatives 34, Labour 1, Liberal Democrats 12

Acle ward: (Con hold)

Lauren Bean (Lib Dem) 74

LANA HEMPSALL (Con) 408

Nigel Law (Ind) 407

Malika Steed (Lab) 196

Aylsham (Con holds)

JO COTTINGHAM* (Con) 1336

Chris Evans (Lib Dem) 752

IAN GRAHAM* (Con) 1253

DAVID HARRISON* (Lib Dem) 1182

Fiona Hunter (Lib Dem) 846

Deborah Kerr (Lab) 542

Malcolm Kemp (Lab) 471

Anna Magyar (Green) 446

Greg Peck* (Con) 1010

Blofield with South Walsham ward (Con gain from Ind)

JAMES CARSWELL (Con) 834

George Debbage* (Ind) 756

PAUL GREEN* (Con) 999

Joyce Groves (Lib Dem) 273

Tony Hemmingway (Lab) 385

Alan Pawsey (Lab) 443

Lawrence Smith (Lib Dem) 102

Brundall ward (Con hold)

Caroline Fernandez (Green) 305

Christopher Gill (Lib Dem) 236

Christine Hemmingway (Lab) 407

Brenda Jones (Lab) 334

Eleanor Mason (Lib Dem) 286

ANDREW PROCTOR* (Con) 1314

MIKE SNOWLING* (Con) 1208

Horsford and Felthorpe ward (Con hold, Con gain from Lib Dem)

Veronica Beadle* (Lib Dem) 190

Jonathan Ewing (Con) 548

JOANNE KEELER (Con) 557

JOHN STARLING* (Lib Dem) 683

Burlingham ward (Con gain from Lib Dem)

Ray Britt (Lab) 225

Shirley Peters* (Lib Dem) 326

DAVID WARD (Con) 346

Buxton ward (Lib Dem hold)

Leanne Davison (Con) 337

BARBARA RIX* (Lib Dem) 645

Coltishall ward (Con hold)

ALAN MALLETT* (Con) 674

Victor Morgan (Lib Dem) 259

Drayton North (Con hold)

Fran Cawdron (Lib Dem) 162

ROGER NASH* (Con) 463

Andrew Potts (Lab) 208

Drayton South ward (Con hold)

ROGER FOULGER* (Con) 649

Peter Sergeant (Lib Dem) 328

Eynesford ward (Lib Dem hold)

Eddie Bamber (Con) 474

Janette Dalston (Green) 206

JAMES JOYCE* (Lib Dem) 488

Great Witchingham ward (Con hold)

Lorna Stolworthy (Lib Dem) 362

SIMON WOODBRIDGE* (Con) 672

Hellesdon North West ward (Con hold)

David Britcher (Lib Dem) 306

DANNY BUCK (Con) 735

Peter Fish (Lib Dem) 246

Terry Glasspoole (Lab) 384

SHELAGH GURNEY* (Con) 996

Jennifer Parkhouse (Green) 195

Michael Walsh (UKIP) 305

John Youles (UKIP) 302

Hellesdon South East ward (Con and Lib Dem hold)

TONY ADAMS* (Con) 714

PETER BALCOMBE* (Lib Dem) 608

Sue Catchpole (Lib Dem) 483

Matthew Graham (Lab) 325

Michelle Ho (UKIP) 164

John Prasad (Lab) 260

Rita Ward (Con) 401

Hevingham ward (Con hold)

PAUL CARRICK* (Con) 641

Jean Markwell (Lib Dem) 285

Marshes ward (Con hold)

Jan Davis (Green) 119

David Parker (Lib Dem) 184

JOHN PETTIMAN (Con) 549

Malcolm Wallis (Lab) 268

Old Catton and Sprowston ward (Con holds)

Peter Buckell (Lib Dem) 439

Cliff Cutting (Lab) 849

STUART DUNN* (Con) 1688

Jonathan Fisher (Lab) 691

KEN LEGGETT* (Con) 1493

Patricia Lewis (Lib Dem) 350

DAVID THOMPSON* (Con) 1398

Glenn Tingle (UKIP) 306

Plumstead ward (Con hold)

Patricia Fearns (Lib Dem) 180

Christopher Jones (Lab) 262

SHAUN VINCENT* (Con) 704

Reepham ward (Lib Dem hold)

Kerrie Barnett (Con) 450

CHRISTOPHER WHEELER (Lib Dem) 467

Sprowston Central ward (Con hold, Lab gain from Con)

Philip Adams (UKIP) 175

Jennifer Aldous (Lib Dem) 206

BILL COUZENS (Lab) 590

Robert Fowkes (Lib Dem) 160

ROBIN KNOWLES* (Con) 757

Barbara Lashley (Lab) 568

John Ward* (Con) 568

Sprowston East ward (Con holds, Con gain from Lib Dem)

Stuart Beadle (Lib Dem) 460

JOHN BRACEY* (Con) 1119

MAGGIE BRADLEY (Con) 972

PAUL FINDLAY (Con) 866

Ken Lashley (Lab) 820

Chris Noble (Lab) 851

Chrissie Rumsby (Lab) 806

Victor Scrivens (Lib Dem) 426

Shamsher Singh (Lib Dem) 485

Philip Williams (UKIP) 341

Spixworth with St Faiths ward (Lib Dem hold, Lib Dem gain from Con)

BALI KULAR* (Lib Dem) 845

DANIEL ROPER (Lib Dem) 985

Paula Slater (Con) 546

Christopher Thompson* (Con) 751

Taverham North ward (Lib Dem hold, Lib Dem gain from Con)

Jason Bill (Lab) 220

Christopher Hall (Con) 349

Ian Kelly (UKIP) 130

Kenneth Kelly * (Con) 430

NICHOLAS STARLING* (Lib Dem) 1097

CAROLE WARD (Lib Dem) 790

Taverham South (Con holds)

CLAUDETTE BANNOCK* (Con) 1193

James Beadle (Lib Dem) 238

STUART CLANCY* (Con) 1056

Natalie Glasspoole (Lab) 296

Jennifer Heard (Lib Dem) 226

Thorpe St Andrew South East ward

Joanna Barker (Lab) 658

Lesley Barrett (Lab) 602

KIM DAVIS-CLAYDON* (Con) 1089

Jonathan Emsell (Con) 1255

Trudy Mancini-Boyle (Con) 1096

Malcolm Martins (Lib Dem) 304

Ross McCabe (UKIP) 211

Phyllida Scrivens (Lib Dem) 278

Susan Wright (Lab) 543

Wroxham ward (Lib Dem hold, Lib Dem gain from Con)

Nick Ball (Green) 197

STEVE BUCKLE (Lib Dem) 829

Kenneth Fursse (Lab) 227

Chris Green* (Con) 741

BEN MCGILVRAY* (Lib Dem) 985

Greg Slater (Con) 537