The local elections have left the Conservative party still firmly in control of Ilkley Parish Council - but with chinks beginning to appear in its armour.

While the Tories comfortably won 14 of the 21 seats up for grabs last Thursday, Labour found a way back onto the body in Ilkley South, where Kathleen Best will represent the ward alongside Conservatives David Roberts and Andrew Walbank.

But the biggest change came from the Burley (previously all Liberal Democrats) and Holme (previously all Conservatives) wards, where six new independent candidates were unchallenged and automatically elected.

Several of those new councillors, including John Sparshatt, Sylvia Tilford and Caroline Jones, are Burley Community Council (BCC) members.

With BCC hoping to push ahead this year with plans to form a new, breakaway parish council, they may well be hoping to pick up a few hints for the future.

In Ben Rhydding, meanwhile, there was no change, with district councillor and Environment chief Anne Hawkesworth, outgoing parish council leader Mike Gibbons and Janice Heslop (all Conservative) all re-elected.

It was the same story in Ilkley North, where Conservatives Pauline Dixon, Brian Mann and Lexa Robinson retained control, and in Menston. There, long-time councillor Joyce Galling was replaced by Malcolm Waddington who was elected with fellow Conservatives Audrey Brand and Gerald Goldsbrough.

In Ilkley West, new parish council leader Kate Brown and fellow Tory Mike Lynes were joined by Alan Morrell, who replaced former deputy leader Heathcliffe Bowen.