Conservatives win key Torbay Council by-election

Hazel Foster won the seat in Wellswood

The Conservatives have retained control of Torbay Council after winning a key by-election by a very close margin.

Hazel Foster took the seat in Wellswood - beating her rival Peter Fenton, Liberal Democrat, by just nine votes.

The result means the Conservatives now hold 18 of the 36 seats on Torbay Council with the Liberal Democrats on 15 seats.

The by-election in Wellswood was prompted by the death of Patrick Joyce, Prosper Torbay member.

Hazel Foster won the Wellswood seat for the Conservatives

Ms Foster, wife of Kevin Foster, the area's Conservative MP until the dissolution of Parliament, got 938 votes compared to 929 for Mr Fenton.

Torbay Council said the turnout was just over 38%.

Mike Lister from Reform Party UK came in third with 188 votes with Labour's Jonathan Chant-Stevens in fourth place with 117 votes.

The Green Party came in fifth with 34 votes and the Workers Party of Britain sixth with 11 votes.

Torbay Council is controlled by the Conservatives

Ms Foster said: "I'm delighted to be elected, now the hard work starts to deliver for Wellswood residents on their priorities."

Mr Fenton said: "I was enormously proud to have come so close to winning in a ward the Conservatives have never lost."