INDEPENDENTS stormed to victory in four parts of Oxfordshire, adding to the Tories’ election woes.

Lynda Atkins was re-elected in Wallingford, with fellow candidates taking three seats nominally belonging to the Conservatives.

In Benson and Cholsey, district councillor and Cholsey Parish Council chairman Mark Gray extended his representation, and said he was pleased.

He said: “I’m delighted, and a bit tearful actually. The hard work I’ve been doing for the past seven or eight years has paid off.”

One of the more surprising results was in Bicester West, where former Labour stalwart Les Sibley won with no party affiliation.

Mr Sibley had been rowing with party colleagues after they refused to select him as a candidate for the seat, and on Thursday he beat Labour’s candidate into fourth place and triumphed over incumbent Tory Norman Bolster.

He said: “I feel vindicated. I ran a strong campaign and people in Bicester West have given me a very good personal vote.”

Neville Harris took the Didcot Ladygrove seat, booting out incumbent councillor Bill Service.

But the four independents may not sit together in County Hall, according to Ms Atkins.

She said: “I’m really pleased four independent candidates were elected, and we’re all there because we work really hard for our communities. If you put us together in a group we would probably fight like cats in a sack.”