CONSERVATIVES in West Devon will be going all out to gain control of the borough council at next year's round of elections.

The Tories are currently the largest political group on the 30-strong council with nine seats — they will need to hold those and gain seven more to take charge of the borough.

Tavistock Conservatives' chairman Dick Eberlie said planning for the borough council elections in May 2003 was the principal task of the local party.

He appealed to Tavistock Tories at their annual meeting in the Ordulph Arms last week to consider standing for election to the council.

'We need more, willing candidates. We must take seats so as to gain control of the council as the majority party next year,' said Mr Eberlie, who is Conservative group leader on West Devon Council.

At the last borough elections in 1999, the Tories and Independents made sweeping gains, mainly at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

But the Liberal Democrats believed their seats in the Tavistock area were lost because of their support for the controversial Bedford Square redevelopment — it was being carried out as voters went to the polls.

Since the 1999 election the Tories have held two seats in by-elections and gained one from the Independents.

But they lost a seat when Tavistock Tory councillor Caroline Keane left the party and became an Independent.

At the Tavistock Conservatives' meeting, David Best was elected secretary to succeed Ted Gibson, who was praised for his hard work on behalf of the branch.