THE Tories have held on to their Blakebrook and Habberley South seat on Kidderminster Town Council following a by-election.

Michael Cheeseman was voted on to the authority in the poll held yesterday (Thursday, September 1) after securing 280 of the 1,178 of the total votes.

His nearest challenger was Labour candidate Bernadette Connor who polled 211 votes, closely followed by Health Concern’s Caroline Shellie who got 207 votes.

UKIP’s George Connolly got 199 votes, Independent David Hollyoak polled 143 while Claire Cassidy of the Liberal Democrats got 86 votes and Green Party candidate Victoria Lea got 52.

The turnout for the election was 17.03 per cent.

The by-election was called after Conservative Paul Simpson, who was elected in May with 461 votes, did not take up his seat.