POLITICAL battle lines have been drawn after a breakaway group of East Hampshire district councillors has given a dire warning of a "destabilised district council" hell bent on "tuning the clock back".

Conservatives Hilary Ayer, her husband Bob and former district council chairman Pat Seward crossed the floor of the council chamber at the authority's annual meeting last week after Ferris Cowper won a vote to became the new council leader.

The way was made clear for Mr Cowper to take over the reins for the second time in the last four years after Ken Moon was forced to resign as leader, following a bitter near six-month campaign to oust him from power by some members of the Conservative group.

For full story, see this week's Petersfield Herald.