Tory and Lib Dem candidates battle it out in Bedford mayor race

Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates both made it through to the second stage of a town's mayoral election today.

Of a total of six candidates hoping to become elected mayor in Bedford, four were knocked out after a first count today.

The Tory and Liberal Democrat candidates will now battle it out in a second count of voters' second preferences to determine who becomes mayor.

Yesterday, voters visited polling stations to make their choice of who will replace the town's first elected mayor, independent Frank Branston, who died in August aged 70.

In an announcement at the town's Corn Exchange, where counting was taking place, Bedford Borough Council's returning officer Philip Simpkins said a total of 35,807 votes had been cast, with 662 rejected.

After a first count today, with no clear winner with more than 50% of the vote, a second count was starting this afternoon.

This will choose between Conservative Parvez Akhtar who got 9,105 votes, and Liberal Democrat Dave Hodgson with 9,428 votes.

The remaining four candidates were eliminated. They were independent candidate Apu Bagchi who received 7,631 votes, and fellow independent Tony Hare who got 4,316 votes.

Green Party candidate Eve Robinson-Morley gained 1,183 votes, with Labour hopeful James Valentine getting 3,482 votes.

The second count will decide the town's mayor, who takes office until May 2011 when all councillors on Bedford Borough Council will be up for election.

Of today's 35,807 votes, 9,732 - around 27% - were postal votes.

The turnout for the election was put at 30.9%.