INDEPENDENTS scored their first success on Fenland Council as Mark Archer held onto his Manea seat with a massive majority over his Tory opponent James Carney.

This was, of course, the seat the Conservatives had been hoping to capture with a local candidate but when Paul Fox withdrew the party turned to Chatteris and to 31 year-old James Carney to boost their chances. It was never likely to happen.

Mr Archer paid tribute to his “hard working” opponent but to the victor the spoils and Cllr Archer will be mightily relieved to be back and massively impressed with his majority and the turn out.

He said after the count: “I didn’t take it for granted at all. I have worked hard. James Carney ran a good campaign and canvassed hard and so if he had won it would have been deserved.

“The problem was he was always fighting against a local person. Manea is a very independent minded village and I’m delighted to live in it.

“I wasn’t born in Manea but they have taken me into their hearts and I’m grateful for that.”

MANEA

-1 seat-

Mark Archer (Ind) 568

James Carney (Con) 201

Turn out: 47.44 per cent

Elsewhere in Fenland it was a case of business as usual as the Tories continued their stranglehold in Whittlesey with Steve Garratt reaping a huge majority in a three way fight with Lab and Lib Dems.

LATTERSEY (Whittlesey)

-1 seat-

Paul Adams (Lib Dem) 52

Steve Garratt (Con) 453

Jess Hibbert (Lab) 162

Turn out: 35.66 per cent

MEDWORTH (Wisbech)

-1 seat-

Jonathan Farmer (Con) 364

Mark Plumb (Lab) 194

Christopher Randall (Lib Dem) 58

Turn out: 30.46 per cent

HILL (Wisbech)

-2 seats-

Simon King (Con) 797

Dean Reaves (Lab) 366

Luke Roscoe (Lib Dem) 202

Bruce Wegg (Con) 677

Turn out: 30.34 per cent