Following Thursday’s vote, negotiations have been taking place to settle the question of leadership at the authority.

After the results were revealed, leader Andy Graham said he hoped that the West Oxfordshire Alliance would continue to run the council.

This is a “partnership administration” with Lib Dem, Green and Labour groups, which formed in 2022.

Now, confirming the arrangement will continue, Mr Graham said: “I am really pleased that the West Oxfordshire Alliance will be continuing to run the council, building on what has been delivered over the past four years. 

“One of our council priorities is ‘Working in together for West Oxfordshire’ and it is incredibly important to me that we maintain this partnership in leading the council.

“It will enable this council to continue to deliver its ambitious council plan along with great council services for our residents and businesses.”

The three parties have all signed their commitment to the alliance today, May 13.

This gives the administration a total of 32 councillors and a majority of 15.

In the previous iteration of the ruling alliance, the council’s executive was made up of councillors from each of the three parties involved.

This news comes ahead of the council’s annual general meeting on May 20.

Following the election, there are 20 Liberal Democrat councillors, 16 Conservative, eight Labour, four Greens and one from Reform UK.

This means that no single political party gained an overall majority.

Prior to the polls, there were 21 Liberal Democrat councillors, 13 Conservatives, 10 Labour, four Greens, and one from Reform UK.

Of the 16 seats up for election this time round – about a third of the council – seven were won by the Liberal Democrats, seven by the Conservatives, one by Reform UK, and one by the Green Party.

Voter turnout was higher than last time – 45.9 per cent compared to 39.6 per cent at the district council election in 2024.

At the count, Tammy Abarno said she was delighted to win the Carterton South ward for the Conservatives.

And Green Party group leader, Rosie Pearson, was re-elected for the Brize Norton and Shilton ward.

Duncan Enright, deputy leader of the council, and leader of the Labour group, said he was disappointed for the Labour councillors who lost their seats.

“The Labour group wants to carry on doing its best for West Oxfordshire’s towns and villages,” he added.

The woman was running along the A4095 between North Leigh and Witney when the unknown man cycled past her at about 9.30am on May 2.

As he passed, he reached out and touched her before cycling away, looking back at her, police said.

A spokesman added: “Thankfully, the woman was not physically injured, but we understand this was a distressing incident.”

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The offender is described by Thames Valley Police as a white man in his early to mid 40s, with short black hair. He was wearing black clothing, including a jumper and possibly jogging bottoms.

“We recognise the impact incidents like this can have, and want to reassure the community that officers have been conducting enquiries since this sexual assault was reported, with work continuing to identify the individual involved,” the spokesman for the force added.

“We ask anyone who was in the area at the time, or who may recognise the description, to please come forward.

“If you were driving along the A4095 at around 9.30am, or have dash-cam footage, please check it.

“We are also keen to hear from anyone with CCTV or doorbell footage from properties along this route.

“Anyone with information or footage can call 101 or report online, quoting the reference 43260216156.”

Katie and Anthony Kay have shared glowing praise for a 5.5-mile circular route in the Cotswolds, calling it “a must for a first-time visit”.

The couple, who document their trips to an audience of hundreds of thousands on TikTok, have been spending time exploring the Cotswolds and posting videos of their experiences.

In one of their latest clips, they focus on the circular walk linking Bourton-on-the-Water with the neighbouring villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter, describing the outing as “beginner-friendly” with “only a few moments of slight incline.”

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They said the 5.5-mile “loop” took them around two and a half hours to complete, including occasional pauses to admire the scenery and film content for their social media followers.

Katie admitted in the video that things did not quite go according to plan at the start of the day.

“Let’s just say this walk did not start out the way we thought it would,” she said, explaining that they had inadvertently approached the trail from the “end” rather than the official starting point.

However, because the route is circular, they said this mistake did not prove to be a “huge deal”, and they were still able to enjoy the full experience.

By the time they reached the end of the walk, the pair said they were “exhausted” but agreed that the “beautiful” surroundings meant the effort was more than “worth it.”

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In the comments section beneath the post, Katie added: “It really is one of the most beautiful walks I’ve ever been on!”

In their caption accompanying the footage, the couple set out advice for others planning to tackle the same route.

They described it as “the best walk in the Cotswolds” and wrote: “It is a loop trail of 5.5 miles total and takes roughly 2.5 hours with occasional stops.

“The route is beginner-friendly, with only a few moments of slight incline.”

They also urged people to make use of a walking or hiking app, suggesting options such as OS Maps, AllTrails and Wikiloc to help keep on track.

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The pair warned that the starting point is not especially obvious, saying they had assumed the signage would be “extremely clear” and found the beginning “a bit less obvious” than expected, despite there being plenty of waymarkers once on the main trail.

They also highlighted a stretch along a busy main road that walkers should be aware of when planning their day.

Katie and Anthony further cautioned that “there aren’t a ton of shops, toilets or water bottle refill points” along the way and recommended packing a snack and setting off with a full bottle of water.

Viewers were quick to respond in the comments, with one person simply writing: “What a beautiful walk.”

Another commenter said: “Okay, but this is gorg,” while a third added: “This is beautiful,”

Katie replied: “It really is one of the most beautiful walks I’ve ever been on.”