NORTH-EAST voters have delivered a resounding "no" to the British National Party, say opponents.

A total of 64 per cent of people voted in the Chester North ward by-election, in Chester-le-Street, contested by the BNP, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

At Thursday night's count, Labour candidate Paul Ellis won the seat with 1,100 postal votes, while the BNP secured 170 votes - or 13 per cent of the vote.

In the run-up to the by-election, a coalition of trade unions, religious groups and political parties joined forces to form the Chester-le-Street Unites Against BNP group, to fight the far right party.

Leaders from Catholic, Church of England, Methodist and United Reformed churches also took a joint stand, issuing a statement urging people to vote for candidates whose policies aimed to "build a just and caring society".

Mike Hartman, of the Tyne and Wear Anti-Fascist Society, said: "The postal vote will have increased the turn-out, but I certainly think the anti-BNP campaign will have made an impact."

The BNP said it still viewed its 170 votes as "quite good".

Its candidate, Scott Morrison, is a married former soldier who fought in the first Gulf War and who now works as an IT specialist. He said he had campaigned on the issues of asylum seekers and the Gulf war.

Mr Morrison, from Sacriston, near Chester-le-Street, said: "We consider it to be quite a good result, it's our first attempt in Chester-le-Street."

The seat became vacant when Labour councillor Keith Lambert died in June. His successor, Councillor Ellis, 44, who works for Go North-East, said he was impressed with the turnout.