The party lost more than half of its seats — including ten in its traditional heartlands in the south east of the county — as the Liberal Democrats made massive gains to become the largest group on the new council.

However, the new single unitary authority which will replace Northumberland County Council and Berwick Borough Council when it comes into power in April 2009 will still be under 'no overall control'.

The political makeup of the new 67-seat council will give the Liberal Democrats 26 seats (up from 14), the Conservatives have 17 (up from 14), Labour have 17 (down from 35) and Independents have seven (up from four).

Berwick's Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith said: "I'm delighted with the 12 Liberal Democrat gains in Northumberland and the fact that the Lib Dems are now taking the lead in the very challenging task of making sure this new authority serves all the people of Northumberland.

"The reorganisation was forced on Northumberland by Labour and they have paid a high price for their arrogance.

"It is striking that there was no Conservative revival in north Northumberland. Conservatives gained no additional seats and lost their leader to the Liberal Democrats."

The Liberal Democrats won four of the six seats available in Berwick Borough, one fewer than at the 2005 election.

The closest contest came in Berwick North where long-serving Independent councillor Brian Douglas took the seat formerly held by Diana Beith of the Liberal Democrats.

She had been backing David Wilson as her successor but he and Alan Bowlas of the Conservative Party were narrowly defeated.

Current leader of Berwick Borough Council, Isabel Hunter, won Berwick West with Ord with over 56% of the votes cast and she has been rewarded with a place on the Liberal Democrats leadership team.

Fellow borough and county councillor Jim Smith comfortably retained the Berwick East ward for the Liberal Democrats with 58.8% of the vote.

Pat Scott won a hard fought battle in Bamburgh ward to retain her seat for the Liberal Democrats, fighting off the challenge of John Woodman for the Conservatives and former mayor Richard Paterson who left the Tory group to stand as an Independent.

Meanwhile, Dougie Watkin held the Norham and Islandshires ward for the Liberal Democrats and Anthony Murray easily took the Wooler ward for the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat group chairman Andrew Tebbutt said: "The leadership team are currently exploring all the issues involved in forming an administration in the 'no overall control' situation, which will involve discussions with other parties over the next few days to establish what level of consensus thinking can be reached.

"The over-riding priority for the Liberal Democrats is to ensure the transition arrangements from Northumberland County Council and the six Northumberland districts into the new Northumberland Unitary Council are fully in place by April 1, 2009."

Voters in Berwick also had the opportunity to elect a new town council to operate beneath the unitary authority.

Only three of the seven wards were contested due to the lack of candidates but Castle Parish was keenly fought with John Robertson, Peter Herdman and Alan Bowlas selected. In Lower Spittal, Hazel Bettison and David Stewart were elected and at Magdalene Brian Douglas and Clive Routledge were elected.

The new councillors who were unopposed are Tony Houghton, Isabel Hunter and Vivienne Pauline at Grove; Georgina Hill and Jim Smith at St Boisil; Flora Simpson at Stadium; and Jeanette Beresford and Jennifer Waterhouse at Upper Spittal.