Conservatives in South Oxfordshire are celebrating an overwhelming victory in the district council elections.

They saw their numbers on South Oxfordshire District Council rise from 28 to 38, leaving an opposition of only six Liberal Democrats, two Independents, one Labour member and one Henley Resident.

Council leader Ann Ducker said: "This was a wonderful result for us.

"It shows people in south Oxfordshire appreciate the efforts the Conservatives put into providing top rate services as cheaply as possible. I am sure that is why they returned us so strongly - and we will continue to provide those services over the next four years."

She said she was worried at first when veteran Tory councillors like Mary Greene, Christopher Quinton and vice chairman of the council Mike Welply lost their seats - but then results rallied.

She was even more pleased when the Tories took Northbourne ward in Didcot for the first time in 24 years.

Veteran councillors were dropping like flies under the Tory onslaught.

John Stimson at Sandford, Eleanor Hards at Didcot, Gillian Zakss and Ken Arlett in Henley, Pat Haywood in Chinnor, Roger Bell in Wheatley and Ann Tomline in Garsington all lost their seats.

The shock entry of British National Party candidate Richard Hamilton at Henley had no effect - he polled just 90 votes.

The Liberal Democrats' only real victory was the return of Robin Peirce, at Woodcote, a seat he had held for 19 years.

For the first time, counting of votes was held over until this morning - with results announced on a webcast.

Mrs Ducker said: "There were lots of worries about whether this could work properly but it has done so to everyone's satisfaction."

There were 4,900 postal votes - 70 per cent of the number sent out to voters. And 120 people asked for ward results to be texted to them.