JANE Parlour, who stood for the Croft ward on Richmondshire District Council as an independent, has lost her seat.

The controversial councillor hit the headlines earlier this year when she was found guilty of assaulting her neighbour in Dalton-on-Tees near Darlington in July last year.

York Magistrates heard how the long-serving councillor and then-head of the planning committee had kneed her neighbour in the face and dragged her by the hair into a bush.

Mrs Parlour claimed in court the husband of the victim rugby tackled her first and she was acting in self-defence, but witnesses said they had not seen that and the man was cleared by police of any wrongdoing.

The district council seat was won by Conservative candidate Sam Gibbs with 368 votes - 49 per cent of the vote. Jane Parlour came second with 279 votes - 37 per cent of the vote.