Ynys Mon by-election: Third place UKIP 'on the rise'

UKIP candidate Nathan Gill says voters are 'fed up' with the other parties

The UK Independence Party says it is poised for a breakthrough at the next assembly elections after coming third in the Ynys Mon by-election.

UKIP polled just over 14%, behind second-place Labour on 16% and victors Plaid Cymru who retained the seat.

Meanwhile the Conservatives, second in the 2011 assembly election, fell to fourth place as their vote collapsed.

UKIP candidate Nathan Gill hailed a "fantastic" result which showed his party is "on the rise".

"We were chasing Labour all the way. We really thought we were going to get second place. Very, very happy," he told BBC Wales after the result was declared in the early hours on Friday.

"People are fed up with the same old, same old. They want something different.

Immigration

"But also they were looking at a larger picture. They weren't just looking at the assembly elections.

"They were looking at issues around immigration, issues around people coming here to work.

"The fact that there is no work here on the island. People are very worried, genuinely."

He added: "We are moving forward fantastically. We know full well that in 2016 we will get AMs elected."

UKIP has so far failed to win any assembly seats.

Mr Gill said Welsh voters had shown they were "just as Eurosceptic as anywhere else in Britain".

Meanwhile, Conservative candidate Neil Fairlamb's share of the vote was less than 9% - down more than 20% on his party's result at the last assembly election in 2011.

At local elections on Anglesey in May UKIP fielded candidates in all wards on the island. Although it failed to win any seats, its 7% share of the vote was bigger than the Conservatives' 6%.

It reflects an improved performance by UKIP at local elections across England earlier this year.

Liberal Democrat by-election candidate Steve Churchman polled 309 votes, coming last behind the Socialist Labour party.