A former south Essex council leader has returned to public office following a by-election victory.
Danielle Belton, the former Conservative leader of Rochford Council, won the Sweyne Park and Grange seat after the poll closed yesterday.
Her husband, Stuart Belton, also stood in the Rayleigh West by-election for Essex Council, winning another seat for the Tories.
Mrs Belton said: "Thank you to every single person that came out and supported the campaign, and to everyone of the 1049 people that came out to Vote Belton".
Both seats were vacant due to Stuart Prior resigning just four days after being elected on May 7.
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Mr Prior was also kicked out of the Reform UK party amid allegations of racist social media posts on an account in his name.
Mrs Belton received 1,049 votes, ahead of Reform UK’s Paul Thurgood with 464, Liberal Democrat Dawn Balding with 247, Green Party candidate Liam Lonergan with 78, and Labour’s Lorraine Ridley with 31.
Turnout was 37 per cent, with 1,869 votes cast from an electorate of 5,064.
Mr Belton received 1,515 votes, followed by Liberal Democrat James Newport with 1,262, Reform UK’s Denise Martin with 1,046, Green candidate Liam Lonergan with 225, independent James Clive Burton with 117, Labour’s Stephen James Cooper with 85, and independent Mike Webb with 35.
Total turnout in Rayleigh West was 32 per cent, with 4,285 votes cast from an electorate of 13,503.
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