Greens win county council by-election from Tories

Catherine Rowett won a seat on Norfolk County Council for the Green Party

The Green Party has won a seat from the Conservatives in a local by-election.

Catherine Rowett, a former Euro MP for the East of England, took the West Depwade ward on Norfolk County Council.

The by-election was called following the death of the sitting Conservative councillor Barry Duffin.

"South Norfolk is eager for change and I am looking forward to increasing challenge and scrutiny on Norfolk County Council," Ms Rowett said.

The victory follows the party's best-ever local election results in May where they gained more than 240 seats across England.

This included taking outright control of an English local authority for the first time - at Mid Suffolk District Council.

Ms Rowett won 663 votes, with Conservative Tony Holden in second with 583 votes on a turnout of almost 25%.

The last full round of county council elections was in 2021, when Mr Duffin won the seat with 1,632 votes. His closest challenger was an independent candidate on 888 votes, with the Greens in last place on 349 votes.

Norfolk County Council is now made up of:

• 54 Conservative councillors

• 12 Labour

• 10 Liberal Democrat

• 4 Green

• 3 independents

The Conservative Party said it was a "disappointing result" but a spokesman said he was "confident we'll retain the seat in the next election in 2025".

The West Depwade ward comprises villages to the north of Diss, including Bressingham, Burston and Tacolneston.