Conservative candidate Jerry Wickham has won the Ethandune by-election, the result being announced at Heywood and Hawkeridge Village Hall last night.

The vote was taking place following the death of Conservative councillor Linda Conley last October.

There were 1,352 votes cast with 37 per cent of the electorate turning out.

Cllr Wickham received 480 votes, Carole King, Liberal Democrat candidate, got 372, Rod Eaton, of UKIP, received 236 votes, Francis Morland, independent candidate, got 192 votes and Labour nominee Shaun Henley had 69 votes.

Cllr Wickham, a former police officer, said: “I feel very proud to have been elected and I want to thank my team for all the hard work campaigning.

"I’m looking forward to carrying on Linda’s hard work and working closely with the administration.”

Wiltshire Council leader Jane Scott, Wiltshire’s Conservatives leader, attended the by-election count to support her candidate.

She said: “I would like to congratulate Jerry and I think he will be a really good councillor and I know he’ll work hard to represent the community.”