Tories land overall lead for first time

However, while the Tories celebrated winning 20 or the 30 seats on the council – the largest geographically in the country covering more than 600 square miles – they took a tough blow when the council’s chairman-elect, Coun Val Arnold was beaten by the Liberals in the Kirkbymoorside ward.

The Liberal Democrats lost six of their eight seats, including those of husband and wife Councillors Howard and Dinah Keal, while the Liberals increased their numbers from three to four, and now have the same number as the Independents. Labour, who fielded candidates for the first time for several years, failed to win a seat.

Council leader Keith Knaggs, whose wife, Vivienne was also elected as a Conservative to the council in the Pickering East ward, said: “It was a great success. We have a clutch of new councillors who have good and varied skills.

“One of our first priorities will be to select a new chairman of the council to take office later this month.”