Potters Bar Conservatives were celebrating this morning as they retained their council seats across the board.

Hertsmere Council Parkfield ward incumbent John Donne will now begin his fifth term in office after an impressive 1,903 to 350 win over Labour candidate Pierre Tengwo.

In Oakmere, councillor Martin Heywood kept a tight hold of his position with a 1,187 to 480 win over Labour's Russell Ramshaw.

Peter Knell, 62, was running in Furzefield for the first time against Labour candidate James Fisher after Conservative Rebecca Foy stepped down earlier this year. He won the seat with 1,303 votes to Mr Fisher's 369.

All three candidates were quietly confident of victory before the results were announced, but said they had taken nothing for granted.

Mr Donne, 70, has lived in the ward since 1961 and first joined Hertsmere Council in 1992 after retiring as a control officer for the London Ambulance Service.

He said: "I always feel confident, but also very anxious as well. This is my fifth time watching a count and it doesn't get any easier.

"But I love doing it and will continue to do it as long as people want me."

It turned out nearly 2,000 people wanted the veteran councillor to continue doing it, and he said he was "elated" with the result.

"I am absolutely elated to jump from 1,661 four years ago to 1,903 today. It's a wonderful feeling, and I plan to do all I can to fight to save the Green Belt around Potters Bar and to fulfill all the duties of my community safety and transport portfolio.

"I will always be there for my constituents, as I have been over the past 16 years. I'll never be hidden away."

Both Mr Donne and Mr Heywood said their priority for the next four years would be the older generation, who they felt had been overlooked in Potters Bar.

Mr Heywood, 55, has been a councillor since 1995. He said: "I am obviously very excited about the next four years. I hope to continue what I have been doing already, but giving even higher priority to older people and the disabled.

"Our pensioners in England are second rate to those in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and I will be putting a lot of pressure on the Government to help them get better pensions and facilities, such as the Freedom Pass."

Taxi driver Mr Knell commissioned the support of his wife, June, to help him visit every house in Furzefield to rally support for his candidacy. His priorities, he said, would be listening to the residents and "helping to keep Potters Bar as nice as it is already".

He said: "I feel absolute jubilation and I thank everyone who voted for me. Now I'm looking forward to working with a great team of fellow councillors."

Mrs Knell had "tears in her eyes" after the result was announced. She said: "Peter feels so passionate, I know he'll make a wonderful councillor and work really hard for his constituents. We're both overwhelmed."

Council leader Morris Bright said he was "very proud" of what had been achieved by the Conservative party in Potters Bar.

He said: "Potters Bar was Conservative and will stay Conservative, but we will not take it for granted.

"They have all worked exceptionally hard and I am very proud of all of them."