A NEW voting system for the local elections in Derwentside has proved a success.

For the first time the district council introduced postal voting and, according to council chiefs, it has had a huge impact on turnout.

Mike Bonser, the authority's returning officer, said: "By Tuesday morning we had a 47 percent turnout, which is already 15 percent higher than the last election.

"Hopefully, by the close of play we will have had votes from more than half the electorate."

There were 55 seats for election, but four will not be contested - three in South Moor and one in Burnhope. Those four will be filled by Labour councillors.

For the first time, the British National Party fielded two candidates - Malcolm Jefferson in the Havannah ward of Stanley and Norman Hopper in Blackhill, Consett.

The main contenders were the Labour Party and Derwentside Independents.

The independents were without veteran campaigner Bill Stockdale, who has retired from politics after 24 years as a councillor for Leadgate.

In Chester-le-Street, 24 hours before the deadline, the district council recorded a return rate of 47.6 per cent.

In the last election only 29.6 per cent voted.