A CANDIDATE for a Hartlepool-only political party has won a by-election in the town.

Kelly Atkinson won the Seaton ward election yesterday (Thursday, October 25) which was held after Independent Mike Turner stepped down.

The Conservative candidate was pushed back to fifth place behind Labour, the UK Independence Party and an Independent. The Liberal Democrat came in last place with just 31 votes.

Kelly Atkinson, Putting Hartlepool First, won 441 votes, easily beating Ann Marshall of the Labour Party who had 261. Tom Hind of the UKIP had 128, David Young, Independent, 193 and Shane Moore of the Conservatives, 94.

The turnout was just 16 per cent. The result doesn’t affect the overall control of the council which is dominated by Labour but has a directly elected Independent mayor, Stuart Drummond.

Labour has 21 councillors, Independents, five, Putting Hartlepool First, five and the Conservatives have three.

Putting Hartlepool First wants to keep council tax increases close to zero until the town has lower than average council tax rates.

Mr Turner, 59, who was re-elected in May, stepped down due to the demands of looking after his parents.

A referendum is due to take place on whether to keep a directly mayor on Thursday, November 15. The alternative would be a committee-led council.