CONSERVATIVE borough councillor Caroline Nokes has won the Romsey constituency back for the Tories – ousting Lib/Dem Sandra Gidley who had held the seat for a decade.

The Romsey and Southampton north seat, which includes Stockbridge, Wherwell and the Wallops, was a must win target for the Conservatives as Mrs Gidley’s majority was a meagre 125 votes at the previous election.

In yesterday’s poll Mrs Nokes romped home by more than 4,000 votes despite the efforts of Andover Lib/Dems whose parliamentary candidate Tom McCann who had spend some time in the south of the borough campaigning for Mrs Gidley.

Caroline Nokes Conservative - 24,345 (49.7 per cent), Sandra Gidley Liberal Democrat - 20,189, Aktar Beg Labour - 3,116, John Meropoulos UKIP - 1,289.