LABOUR has retained control of a Middlesbrough ward in a by-election called following the death of a popular councillor.

The result for the Brambles and Thorntree, which saw Janet Thompson elected with 321 votes, was announced following a voter turn-out of just under ten per cent.

Independent candidate Graham Wilson came second with 158 votes, Conservative David Smith third with 44 and the Liberal Democrat’s Paul Hamilton came last with 27.

Cllr Thompson is the wife of Labour mayoral candidate Mick Thompson and will follow in the footsteps of popular and long-serving councillor Peter Purvis, who died in October following a short illness.

Cllr Purvis, who was 79, was first elected to Middlesbrough’s council in 2007 and represented Labour in the Thorntree ward.

Described by the town’s mayor, Dave Budd, as a “true gentleman” and a “great advocate for the town”, the veteran councillor sat on the River Tees Port Health Authority and was a member of Community Ventures Middlesbrough.

Cllr Thompson, who won the by-election with a comfortable margin, will now represent the ward until the next local elections are held in May 2019.

For more information about next year's elections, visit middlesbrough.gov.uk.