LIBERAL Democrats scored a dramatic gain in the first council voting test since the General Election.

Candidate Andrew Tebbutt gained a victory when he took a Morpeth Kirkhill seat from Labour at Castle Morpeth Borough, Northumberland.

He polled more than 70 per cent in a ward where his party failed to field a candidate in the last main polls, in May 1999.

The seat is in the Wansbeck Commons constituency, where Liberal Democrats came second to Labour on June 7.

They were also the only party to boost their vote at the only other contest yesterday, at Thurncourt, Leicester.