More than 300 people stood by through the small hours of Friday morning (4th May) to watch the results of Monmouthshire County Council elections come in.

In one of the most exciting local elections of recent times, Monmouthshire saw the fall of the county's ruling Conservatives, as the party lost the area by a margin of three councillors.

In the sometimes emotional revelations, it seems that the voting public have opted this time for a shake-up within the local political body, with many long-standing councillors being replaced by fresh faces.

In Monmouth uniquely, the change involved the parties in charge, rather than the councillors. In three wards: Drybridge, Dixton with Osbaston and Llanbadoc, popular ex-Tory councillors have been re-elected, this time as independents.

This loyalty could suggest that in these uncertain times, voters are staying close to the faces they know and trust. In the Beacon web poll last week, we asked if the people of Monmouthshire were basing their vote on the candidates or the polital party they stood for. 71 per cent said they were placing their vote based mainly on the candidate.

The elected councillor for Overmonnow is Conservative Sue White, who was returned after picking up 230 votes to the 212 managed by Labour's Lee Robson.

Tudor Greaves picked up 91 votes in the ward.

Liz Hacket-Pain is back in for Wyesham after polling 254. The nearest challenger, Labour man Liam Stubbs, picked up 200. Independent Raymond Bradley won 103 votes and Green Ann Were got 93.

The Dixton with Osbaston ward saw Bob Hayward running against Simon Lane for Labour and Anthea Dewhurst for the Liberal Democrats. Hawyard won with a 477 votes to Dewhurst's 198. Lane picked up 187 votes.

"I would like to say thank you to the people of Dixton and Osbaston for voting, it must have been hard to abandon their Conservative roots to support me for a third term," said Mr Hayward.

"This is a win for the people of Monmouth that this result has put local issues to the fore-front, rather than political issues."

"I would also like to apologise to my wife for putting my retirement on hold, I promise it will be my last," he added.

The closest-run ward in Monmouth was Drybridge, which saw newly-independent Alan Wintle elected by the slimmest of majorities.

He polled 280 votes compared to 274 for Labour's Mathew Davies and 260 for the Conservatives' Terry Christopher.

Pictured are Returning Officer Paul Matthews, Bob Hayward, David Dovey and Phil Hobson.

For more results, see this week's Beacon (9th May)