REPRESENTATION for Bude and surrounding areas for the next four years at Cornwall Council will be a sea of familiar faces after electors opted for the familiarity of the known over the sea of change as Reform UK launched their assault on Cornwall’s ballot boxes to great success.

Former Liberal Democrat turned independent councillor Peter La Broy will continue to serve Bude, having seen off a strong challenge from his former party, who came in second place.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Poundstock ward, voters chose to ‘choose Chopak’ to serve another term at the unitary authority, with Nicky Chopak holding onto the seat for the Liberal Democrats in a race that saw strong challenges from Aaron Lynch for Reform UK and Tom O’Sullivan, the independent candidate.

In Bude, Mr La Broy triumphed in a tight race, winning by a margin of just 43 votes over second placed Liberal Democrat challenger Kevin Colwill. In third was Christopher Lynch for Reform UK with 324 votes, with Calum McGrath coming fourth for the Conservative party with 298 votes while George Richens finished fifth for the Greens with 61 votes.

The race in Poundstock was a little more comfortable for its winner, with a margin of more than 200 votes separating Nicky Chopak from second-placed Aaron Lynch, for Reform UK, with 859 votes and 531 respectively, while Tom O’Sullivan came a respectable third as an independent candidate.

After his victory, Mr La Broy said: “I want to pay tribute to all my fellow candidates and my election team. I got in by 43 votes, so, job done, I’m here for another four years. Hope to keep doing good work for Bude and looking after the interests of everyone in our community.”

Ms Chopak, after wishing her opponents well, added: “It's my absolute pleasure to have been re-elected to continue to represent you moving forward.”