A VETERAN village councillor and community campaigner says she's "gutted" to have lost her seat in the latest Kinver parish elections.

Margaret Rogers, aged 70, has been chairman of Kinver Parish Council on three occasions and vice-chairman four times since she was first elected in 1995.

But in a political earthquake in the village - Margaret and husband Harry, aged 72, who has been on the parish council since 1991, both lost their seats.

Stunned by the result - Margaret finished fifth out of six candidates fighting the Dunsley ward.

Victory went to Conservative Denise Geoghegan with 629 votes, followed by fellow Tories Dudley Light on 568 and Nick Other with 540 votes.

The final remaining place was won by independent John Cutler with 443 votes, while Margaret could only total 376 with Harry Rogers last on 233 votes.

Margaret, one of the driving forces involved with Kinver Action Group, added: "The result has really hit both of us for six because neither of us ever intended to retire. We love working for the community, which has been our lives and people just assumed we'd carry on.

"We're both independents and believed that it's people and not politics that matter at local level."

The result means Kinver Parish Council now comprises 13 Conservatives and two independents.

Andy Calloway, from Kinver Online which actively backed the independents, said: "With 13 Conservatives and two independents, it hardly makes for a balanced council and it's a great shame that Harry and Margaret Rogers didn't get in.

"We shouldn't pre-judge because there are quite a few new people who have come onto the parish council.

"We just want them to open up and find out what's going on at the meetings and make them more accountable to the people of Kinver.

"As for Kinver Online, we will be having a meeting soon to discuss the next step and it's important to make sure we have candidates in place when the time arises."

In the meantime Kinver Parish Council's first step will be the election of a new chairman following the retirement of Rachel Davis.