Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The party captured 48 seats - two more than at the last county poll in 2017 - comfortably surpassing the 43-seat threshold needed for it to remain in power.

Lancashire County Council elections: Tories secure victory as Labour blame natio...

Labour also gained two seats and the Green Party added a second county councillor to their number on the authority.

Ribble Valley returned four Tories to County Hall

It was a disappointing day for the Liberal Democrats, who lost two seats - one of which was previously held by county group leader David Whipp.

Independent representation on the council was also wiped out, with the authority having had four members not aligned to a political party before this week's vote.

Ribble Valley remains a Conservative stronghold, with all four of its county divisions staying in Tory hands. However, that came to within a dozen votes of changiung in Clittheroe where the Conservatives' Sue Hind only just pipped Lib Dem Simon O'Rourke over the line. Ian Brown, who held the seat for the Tories for the last eight years but stood as an independent this time round, came third out of the five who contested the seat.

In 2017, Mr. Brown won by a majority of just five and the margins were almost as tight this year for Sue Hind, who secured victory by 12 votes.

Meanwhile, Ribble Valley borough councillor Ged Mirfin took the seat previously held by former deputy leader of the county council, Albert Atkinson, who stepped down this year.

Here are the borough's full county results:

Con - 4

Lab - 0

Lib Dem - 0

Key

INC - incumbent

CM - cabinet member

GL - party group leader

RIBBLE VALLEY

CLITHEROE (CON HOLD)

Ian Brown (INC for CONSERVATIVE PARTY) - Independent - 842

Michael Graveston - Labour Party - 736

Sue Hind - Conservative Party - 1313

Simon O’Rourke - Liberal Democrats - 1301

Malcolm Peplow - Green Party - 207

LONGRIDGE WITH BOWLAND (CON HOLD)

Karl Barnsley - Labour and Cooperative Party - 746

Donna O’Rourke - Liberal Democrats - 202

Rupert Swarbrick - Conservative Party - 2370

Paul Yates - Green Party - 379

RIBBLE VALLEY NORTH EAST (CON HOLD)

David Birtwhistle - Independent - 852

Gaye McCrum Green Party - 312

Anthony McNamara - Labour Party - 869

Ged Mirfin - Conservative Party - 2555

Mary Robinson - Liberal Democrats - 229

RIBBLE VALLEY SOUTH WEST (CON HOLD)

John Hymas - Liberal Democrats - 397

Lee Jameson - Labour and Cooperative Party - 739

Anne Peplow - Green Party - 331

Alan Schofield (INC) - Conservative Party - 2980

Lancashire County Council elections 2021: Ribble Valley results