THE Tories celebrated a landslide victory in the Cotswolds at today's Gloucestershire County Council election.

Emotions ran high as the Liberal Democrats suffered a whitewash defeat in Cirencester where they previously held a stronghold for well over a decade.

The 16-year career of Lib Dem county councillor Deryck Nash was ended this afternoon by a close margin.

Tory candidates Peter Braidwood and John Burgess swept the board in the nail-bitingly close count with 2231 and 2241 votes respectively.

Andy Rickell, the new Lib Dem candidate who replaced former councillor Roger Brown, was next in the list with 1632 votes.

A shell-shocked Cllr Nash, who is also a district and town councillor, said: "It is the democratic system and we accept it. The Lib Dem's will be back in Cirencester and the Cotswolds.

"Cirencester has not heard the last of me and neither have the Conservatives."

Newcomer to the county council, Peter Braidwood, said the win was by a significant majority and "was not on a knife edge."

He said: "Deryck has fought a very good campaign and has worked hard for the last 16 years. He is a hard nut to crack and I cannot remember the last time we had a Conservative councillor in Cirencester."

Cllr Burgess said he was "stunned" and lost for words but had worked hard to ensure success at this year's election by posting leaflets through 8,000 letter boxes.

Deputy returning officer Nigel Adams informed the candidates that 9711 people in Cirencester had turned out for the vote.