A by-election will take place in Wychavon next week to determine a new councillor.

Residents in the The Littletons will take to the polls on Thursday to vote for a new councillor to represent the ward at Wychavon District Council.

This comes following the death of longstanding councillor Richard Lasota last year.

Councillor Lasota had represented The Littletons, an area that also covers Cleeve Prior, since 2011 before his death in September, aged 71.

Prior to the first Covid lockdown, councillor Lasota had run Happy Little Sole, a chip shop in South Littleton, and had also served for a short time as chairman of Littleton Football Club.

Speaking at the time of his death, councillor for Badsey Mark Goodge, said: “Richard is someone I got to know with him representing a neighbouring ward and he will be missed.

“He was one of the characters of the council and his death will leave a big hole.

“He was very active in so many parts of the community and there were not a lot of areas he did not know about. If you wanted to know anything, particularly about the rural areas, Richard was your man to answer pretty much any question you had.”

Now, three candidates will go head-to-head for the vacant position.

Representing the Liberal Democrats is David Quayle, representing the Green Party is Hannah Robson, whilst representing the Conservatives is Mary Smith.

The polls will be open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday, January 13.

There will be three polling stations open on the day and electors have been sent polling cards which identify which they should use.

The polling stations are:

Cleeve Prior Village Hall, Main Street, Cleeve Prior, WR11 8LE

Littletons Village Hall, School Lane, Middle Littleton, WR11 8LJ

South Littleton Scout H.Q., Long Hyde Road, South Littleton, WR11 8TH