The former leader of the Liberal Democrats at East Cambridgeshire District Council blamed a split in his party’s core vote for the loss of his seat.

Gareth Wilson, a councillor for Haddenham since 2003, was unseated at last Thursday’s election along with his wife Pauline by Conservative candidates, with a third seat in the ward also falling to the Tories.

Mr Wilson said a national shift to the Conservatives, along with a split in the Liberal vote locally put paid to his hopes of re-election.

Mr Wilson polled 950 votes at Thursday’s election, up from the 930 he received in 2011, albeit with a turnout of about 70 per cent this time, as apposed to 46.7 per cent at the last election.

He said: “Unfortunately there was a national swing to the Tories and too many Haddenham residents voted Labour or Green thus making sure they got three Conservative councillors, although we actually got more votes than when we were elected four years ago.

“Together, we’re going to rebuild from what happened on Thursday, and that starts right now.”