AN INDEPENDENT candidate won a large majority to become a councillor.
Mick Moore, a Thornaby Independent Association, won 800 votes to become member of Stockton Borough Council for Thornaby’s Village Ward.
Bottom of the pile was the Liberal Democrat candidate who won just 18 votes.
The Labour candidate, Leslie Hodge, came second with 270 votes, UKIP’s Ted Strike won 135 votes and the Conservative candidate, John Chapman, attracted 85 supporters.
The result does not affect the political make-up of the council as Coun Moore replaces the popular Mick Eddy, also a Thornaby Independent, who died last year. The council is run as a coalition by Labour and Independents from the Ingleby Barwick area of south Stockton.
Coun Mark Chatburn, a Conservative borough councillor for the neighbouring Yarm area, congratulated Coun Moore via Twitter.
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