Lib Dems take Tory council seat in by-election

Carl Squires (second from right, with rosette) won the council by-election

The Liberal Democrats have taken a council seat from the Conservatives in a by-election.

Carl Squires won the poll in the East Hunsbury & Shelfleys ward on West Northamptonshire Council - a seat previously held by the Tories - with almost 40% of the vote.

The by-election was called after former councillor Suresh Patel’s resignation at the end of last year due to "serious ill health".

Conservative Daniel Soan came second in the ward in Northampton, with Labour's Clare Robertson-Marriot in third, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Squires will now join Conservative councillors Andre Gonzalez De Savage and Pinder Chauhan as representatives of the same ward.

The turnout for the by-election was 23.6% with a total of 2,113 votes counted and an extra eight ballot papers were rejected.

The Conservatives remain in control of the unitary council, having won a large majority of seats in the new authority's first elections in 2021.