A HUSBAND and wife have been elected as district councillors for Hambleton.

Bryn and Jackie Griffiths will represent Stokesley on the council. Mrs Griffiths has retained her seat but her husband is one of 12 new councillors to be elected.

The council has remained in the hands of the Conservative Party, with Conservatives winning two seats that were previously Liberal and Labour.

There was a 43 per cent turnout overall, which is an improvement on the 38.9 per cent turnout at the last election.

There are no Labour councillors on the new district council. At the last election Jan Marshall was elected as the only Labour member but she did not stand this year.

But the Conservatives did lose one seat one seat to an Independent candidate, Mike Rigby, who is another new member.

Leader of the council, Arthur Barker, who was uncontested, said the result reflected a national shift in emphasis to the Conservative Party.

"I think it reflects the national picture," he said. "There has been a strong shift towards the Conservative Party. The early indications are that the Conservatives are gaining seats throughout the country and we are coming from a position of strength."