WHILE the Conservatives were routed throughout the country in the recent General Election, many people in West Devon would have been pleased to see their former Conservative candidate — Ian Liddell-Grainger — clinch a seat in the House of Commons.

Mr Liddell-Grainger, who currently lives at Bratton Clovelly, won the Bridgwater seat in neighbouring Somerset, held for 31 years by Tory cabinet minister Tom King.

For Mr Liddell-Grainger it was particularly gratifying to finally take his seat in the house, having been beaten by John Burnett in West Devon in 1997, and especially to increase the Conservative majority to almost 5,000.

But victory celebrations were muted as news of the first foot and mouth outbreak in the constituency broke out.

'The first case of foot and mouth came on the night of the count, I had just won when the leader of the council came over to me and told me.

'The celebrations were very short-lived — it was rather a nasty evening, tempered by the news — we are all absolutely petrified here,' he said.

Mr Liddell-Grainger paid tribute to Tom King and West Devon's John Burnett.

'John was the first person to welcome me into the house.

'He's been very helpful and we've agreed we will work on all cross-border matters together. Tom King, of course, has been extremely helpful. If it weren't for him, it would have been much tougher.'

Mr Liddell-Grainger, with wife Jill, son and two daughters, aim to sell their West Devon property and move wholesale to Bridgwater in the near future.