Winning in West Worcestershire

11.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 21st Oct 2004

Last night Sheila Young and the Liberal Democrats won the Alfrick and Leigh by-election and with it overall control of Malvern Hills District Council. The Conservatives threw everything they could at this by-election and were still beaten by the Liberal Democrats.

The full result was:

Sheila Young Liberal Democrat 405

Conservative 396

Green 91

UKIP 46

Malvern Hills District Council covers two-thirds of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency, one of the Liberal Democrats top targets at the General Election. Alfrick and Leigh was one of the weakest areas in West Worcestershire for the Liberal Democrats and winning this seat must bode well Tom Wells the Liberal Democrat candidate for the General Election.

This by-election victory is the third Liberal Democrat gain in the West Midlands since the Local Elections, one from Labour in Shropshire, one from the Conservatives in Warwickshire and now one from the Independents in Worcestershire. Well done to everyone that took part.