EVENWOOD has chosen its new county councillor.

Heather Smith, who lives in the village, was elected on Thursday night after more than 1,400 people took to the polls to cast their vote.

She was one of five candidates and she attracted 546 votes, a majority of 150 over Conservative candidate, Stephen Hugill, who came second with 396 votes.

Mrs Smith grew up in London and has been an NHS consultant paediatrician for 35 years.

She has been based at Bishop Auckland Hospital since 1992 and is shortly due to retire.

She has also been a member of the Labour Party for 20 years.

UKIP candidate, Ben Casey, came third with 309 votes, followed by independent Lee Carnighan, with 108 votes.

Green Party candidate, Greg Robinson, finished last with 74 votes.

Mrs Smith’s ward will cover Evenwood, Ramshaw, Cockfield, Toft Hill, Etherley, Woodland, Butterknowle, West Auckland and Hamsterley.

She will replace the late Pauline Charlton, who died in August, aged 75, following an illness.

The retired school teacher, who had lived in Esperley since 1984, had also served on Cockfield Parish Council and the former Teesdale District Council and among other responsibilities was governor and was a governor of three primary schools – Cockfield, Ramshaw and Woodland. She was chairman of the county council in 2013-14 and Mayor of Durham.