INDEPENDENT candidate Seb Berry won a seat on Chiltern District Council at the Tories’ expense – but there was a huge shock in Chesham where two Lib Dems were voted out.

There were just 37 votes in it as Mr Berry pipped incumbent Gilbert Nockles to the post to take the Great Missenden ward.

Mr Berry had resigned from the Liberal Democrats in order to stand as an Independent in protest at his former party’s stance over the HS2 project, which he is fiercely opposed to.

He said: “It’s an amazing feeling when you think the campaign was essentially about the village.

“For us to do what we’ve done, to campaign in a positive way on the issues that matter to Great Missenden, including the issue of the election HS2, to overturn what was historically a very safe Conservative seat is an astonishing result.

“We knew it was going to be close. Throughout the campaign both ourselves and the Conservatives had been saying how close it was.

“It’s the last electoral test before the Government makes its decision on the final route of HS2. Clearly, a majority took the opportunity to send a clear signal and message, not only to our MP but also to the Conservative party and the Coalition Government.”

Elsewhere the current Mayor of Chesham, Jane Bramwell, lost her seat in the St Mary’s and Waterside ward – as did her predecessor, Justine Fulford.

The Tories took both of their seats and won two more seats in Amersham Town and Amersham on the Hill at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

If the news for Mrs Fulford wasn’t bad enough already, she later learned she had also lost her place on Chesham Town Council in the parish council elections

The full result list for Chiltern District Council will be updated on this website either over the weekend or Monday due to technical difficulties.