LEADER Liz Davies insists it will be business as usual for the coming year despite Health Concern losing overall control of Wyre Forest District Council.

Last Thursday's election saw the number of seats held by the group formed in protest at the downgrading of Kidderminster Hospital fall for the first time since it first stood in 1999.

The Conservatives were the biggest winners, strengthening their position as the second biggest party by adding two seats to their existing seven, while the Liberals grabbed two more and Labour lost one, dropping down to four.

The Liberal Democrats lost a seat and gained one, keeping their tally at two.

But Mrs Davies has dismissed interpretations of the results which have suggested the Health Concern bandwagon is gradually grinding to a halt.

A tense count at the Wyre Forest Glades Leisure Centre saw the group's representation drop from 21 - which gave them a majority on the 42-seat authority with the chairman's casting vote - to 19.

"We're disappointed we are two down," Mrs Davies said.

"But all this talk of 'the Health Concern bubble has burst' - I don't think it has. We have still got 19 seats.

"Some of the results were quite close - I reckon we have done very well.

"Perhaps we didn't work as hard as we could have done on the campaign. But we haven't got the huge teams the major parties can call upon."

And she was adamant the party will soldier on ruling as a minority administration until this time next year, when all 42 seats will be up for grabs in the next round of elections.

"We're not planning to jump into bed with anyone. Obviously life will be that little bit more difficult for us but we will continue to do the best we can for the people of Wyre Forest and not for party politics."

She pledged members would "go on fighting on all fronts", and not just the hospital issue.

Mrs Davies also stressed the election campaign for next year began now.

"We need to learn a lesson. Maybe we were so busy doing a good job we forgot to shout about it.

"It's not going to happen again."

Health Concern seats were lost in Aggborough and Spennells, Habberley and Blakebrook, and Greenhill to Liberal Democrats, Liberal and Labour respectively.

Original 1999 Health Concern members Jane Paterson and Frank Baillie failed to be re-elected.

But one seat was pulled back from the Conservatives in Oldington and Foley Park through Anne Mace.

David Gourley, who was one of the first members of Health Concern elected four years ago before he became an independent, dropped off the council after mustering only 72 votes in Broadwaters, where Liberal Rob Wheway romped home with 583 out of 1,292 votes.