AN INDEPENDENT councillor has joined forces with the Labour group to resolve the power struggle at Redcar and Cleveland Council.

The leadership of the council had been unbalanced following last week's by-election result that saw Liberal Democrat Ken Lucas win the Dormanstown ward.

The victory meant that the ruling Labour and Independent coalition had 29 seats out of the 59 available at the council.

However, since Councillor Liz Beadle decided to align herself with the Labour group the balance has been restored.

Council Leader Coun George Dunning said: "I'm absolutely delighted councillor Beadle has decided to join us. There has been no pay off, we have not offered her any specific role she just wanted to join us to help move the council forward."

Coun Liz Beadle said: "I felt it was the right thing to do because I was finding it difficult working on my own and not being able to get things done in the community.

"I think there is a lot of work needs doing and its time that everyone started working together for the whole of the borough."

However, the move has been criticised by the leader of one of the council's opposition parties.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Chris Abbott said: "I am disappointed that Councillor Beadle has joined Labour.

"Another so-called 'True Independent' is now propping up a failing Labour administration which has dragged the Council down from four-stars to two-stars and which has been called negligent by the Audit Commission for putting 4 million of public money into failed Icelandic banks.

"Labour has now lost three out of four by-elections since last September. Its time they got the message."