CONTINUED support and loyalty to the people was the message given out by two Tory councillors who held their seats at Devon County Council last week.

With a massive 2,473 votes — more than the combined vote of her three opponents — Conservative Christine Marsh has been elected to represent the Okehampton Rural ward for the third time in a row.

Cllr Marsh said she would continue to fight for rural priorities: 'I will carry on listening to all the people, whether they voted for me or not.'

Communities of all sizes, and the services provided to them, were extremely important to her, she said.

'The village halls, the sports clubs, the elderly and the lunch clubs for the over 55s, are the focal points for communities and I will continue to support them.

'The villages around are just as important to me as Okehampton.'

Cllr Marsh said she was over the moon with her overall majority on a turnout of almost 50% turnout.

'I was so pleased with the turnout for voting and it was really good to see a lot of young people taking a stand.

'With all the problems there are at the moment with the government, I think people realised they were voting for local issues and what they want to be done about them.'

Cllr Marsh said infrastructure in the town was vital if more houses were to be built.

'I don't think we can cope with the quantity in Okehampton, we have to have the infrastructure.

'We have to look at a balance if the town is to continue to grow with these developments.'

Re-elected to County Hall for the Hatherleigh and Chagford ward with 2,822 votes was Conservative Cllr James McInnes, again, with more than 50% of the total poll.

Cllr McInnes, who, like Cllr Marsh, also sits on West Devon Borough Council, said he planned to continue to support residents and businesses through the recession.

'I am very pleased to have 55 per cent of the votes and extremely proud to be representing Hatherleigh and Chagford once again.

'I will continue to work for everyone in the community and support lots of organisations when I can.

'I'm very mindful we are in a recession and we have to do all we can to support people and help them to get through what is a very difficult time.

'Over the last four years I've supported lots of projects.

'I hope to be able to continue to do that but we have to face the fact that we are in far more difficult times.

'For me one of the main priorities are the rural roads and while money is scarcein local government, we must do something to deal with pot holes and the state of Devon's country lanes.'

l The Conservative Party won an overwhelming majority in the county elections, taking control for the first time in 20 years with 41 of the 62 seats.

The turnout was bigger than expected for a local election at 43.9%, with more than 255,000 votes being cast.

41.9% of the votes went to the Conservatives, 29.9% to the Liberal Democrats, 9% to UKIP and 6.1% to Labour.

The Liberal Democrats won 14 seats, Labour retained four, two seats were taken by Independent candidates and the Green Party won its first ever seat in the county in Totnes.