SOUTH Gloucestershire’s Labour party members are feeling victorious after gaining six seats in yesterday’s local election.

Leader Roger Hutchinson told the Gazette this morning: "We are very happy, quite delighted in fact.

"Six gains is very good for us and I look forward to a group of 15 which we haven’t had for a while."

The party is in the minority on South Gloucestershire Council, having dropped from 16 to nine councillors in the 2007 election.

But last night there were wins in all three Patchway seats, taking control from the Liberal Democrats, and Labour gained a seat in Rodway as Tory Adrian Millward lost his seat to newcomer Michael Bell by 300 votes.

Two Filton seats turned red making the ward three out of three for Labour. It means Tory former council chairman Brian Freeguard and David Bell lost their seats to Labour candidates Adam Monk and Ian Scott by 100 votes each.

Cllr Hutchinson said: "This means several things for us, we will be a bigger part of the council and can expect to have more of a say.

"And it means we can share out the workload."

He added: "I think it is a national reflection, clearly there has been a swing and we have benefited.

"We are very pleased within the party and are looking forward to the next four years and whatever that brings."