VOTERS in Okehampton were presented with a healthy crop of candidates to choose from when they went to the polls to vote in a new town council last week.

Unfortunately, the choice did not prove a big draw at the polling stations ? as the town?s east ward recorded the lowest turn ot. Just 24.57% of the community recorded their votes for the ward?s seven seats on the council.

Topping the poll was the long-standing mayor of Okehampton, Cllr Christine Marsh, who retained her seat with 438 votes.

Also retaining their seats on the council were Sheila Gregory, Joanna Harrison, Tony Leech, Frances Luxton, Hyder Pirwany, Michael Roberts, John Maguire.

They will be joined by some new faces to the council chamber.

Successfully elected were Independent Michael Davies, the Conservative?s Jayne Hill ? who was also re-elected to the borough council ? plus Tories Mark Slater and Charles Letchford. Also elected were Pat Snell and David Weekes.

Losing his seat was the former chairman of the town council?s planning committee, Stan Stormont. It leaves Okehampton Town Council with a political make-up of six Independents, five Conservative and three Liberal Democrats.

Many of the outlying parishes in the north of the borough returned candidates unopposed for seats on their councils.

However, there were elections in Broadwoodkelly, Drewsteignton, Lydford, Highampton, Monkokehampton and Northlew.

At Broadwoodkelly, the successful candidates were Andrew Hawkey, Francis Hawkey, Roger Heggadon, Trevor Hill, Millicent Maunder, Maurice Reed and Maurice Skinner.

At Drewsteignton, Jane Cox, Jennifer Mullins and Tobias Rubbra were successful.

In Lydford, Rona Baker, Kate Boyd, Philip Burgess, Linda Cole, Susan Holland, Patricia Martyn and Stephen Powne were voted in.

The turnout was an encouraging 50.91% at Highampton, where the successful candidates were Dewar Baker, Mary Dayman, Charles Dumpleton, Julian Gilling, Glen Rose, Maurice Thomas and Sandra Willetts.

Tiny Monkokehampton had the highest voter turnout in West Devon with an impressive 57.58%. Here, Dawn Beckford-Ball, Thomas Dennis, William Fairchild, Peter Fishleigh, Sidney Murrin, Barbara Pearce and Donald Phare were elected.

At Northlew, those elected to the town council were Jane Colbourne, Winifred Davey, Bryan Dufty, John Feltham, John Grierson, Derek Humphreys, Richard Tanner, Helena Williams and Juliet Yelland.