UKIP have retained a council seat in Clacton despite the Eurosceptic party’s previous councillor resigning after just one month.

The party’s candidate Richard Everett won the by-election for Tendring Council's Rush Green ward with 338 votes – a majority of 48.

Conservative candidate and former council chairman Danny Mayzes, who lost his seat in May’s election, came second with 290 votes.

Labour’s Sam Atkinson came third with 213 votes, while independent candidate William Hones picked up 36 votes.

Mr Everett, 56, who runs a handyman business, thanked voters for their “commitment” to UKIP despite the by-election coming so soon after the local elections.

He said: “It’s absolutely brilliant that I am able to represent Rush Green. It’s a really fantastic area and it needs defending.”

During his election speech, he said: “I think this gives a clear and unambiguous message to Tendring Council – Rush Green does not want the 12,000 houses that are planned for the area."

Clacton's UKIP MP Douglas Carswell added: "It’s great news - Richard is on the side of local people.

“I'm sure he will do a great job. He is a polite and patient person - two things we need to see more of in the council chamber.”

The by-election was held following the resignation of Len Sibbald, who resigned his Tendring Council seat just four weeks after being elected in May.

He was one of nine Ukip councillors who joined a breakaway group to support a Conservative-led administration.

But Mr Sibbald changed his mind one week later and rejoined the official Ukip group, before quitting the council altogether.

Mr Sibbald said he had felt “naive and gullible” for joining the breakaway group, but that it had been a difficult few weeks after his wife, who has suffered from cancer, had again become unwell.

Read the full story in next week's Clacton Gazette

Result:  UKIP Hold

  • Richard Everett (UKIP)*  338
  • Danny Mayzes (Con)       290
  • Sam Atkinson (Lab)        213
  • William Hones (Ind)          36

Majority: 48     Turnout: 24.76%