Conservatives triumphed in one of the wealthiest parts of Kingston but admit Labour are serious contenders in the borough after the party polled second in the Coombe Hill byelection.

Gaj Wallooppillai was declared a Coombe Hill councillor after recording a convincing win over all other parties at the byelection count on Olympia on Friday, May 4.

With a strong turnout of 41.48per cent, the Tories recorded a majority of 1,082, winning 52 per cent of the electorate with 1,601 votes.

Councillor Wallooppillai said: "I am extremely delighted that all our hard campaigning has paid off and the residents of Coombe Hill have spoken clearly that they would like a conservative to represent them."

The former Tiffin Boys’ School pupil, who runs a business promoting cricket in schools, has pledged to cut down crime in the area, specifically targeting burglary, by working closely with police and the safer neighbourhood teams.

Labour party candidate Laurie South scooped 519 votes, pushing the Liberal Democrats into third place as their vote collapsed, with candidate David Knowles pulling in 409 votes.

Mr South Said: "Obviously Coombe Hill is the kind of place where you have to get a mortgage to build a garden shed but that doesn’t mean people don’t have a conscience.

"The result really says we can go far in Kingston. It is very very encouraging."

Coombe Hill ward is taken up by four golf courses, although Kingston Hospital and Kingston University's Kingston Hill campus and the Kingsnympton estate also lie within its borders.

The ward elected three Conservative councillors at the last local election in 2010.

Tory leader Councillor Howard Jones said: "Clearly this result means that the Labour party are serious contenders in Kingston and we certainly believe that they fought a good campaign.

"Gaj will make an excellent councillor and we are looking forward to working with him for the good of the residents of Coombe Hill."

The Green Party came fourth with 235 votes for Jean Vidler and the UK Independence Party candidate, Michael Watson, polled fifth with 148 votes.

Rajesh Dewan of the Christian People's Alliance pulled in the least amount of votes, with 66.

The Coombe Hill by-election followed the resignation of Conservative David Edwards, who stepped down to undergo chemotherapy in a bid to battle cancer in March.