Conservative candidate, Stephen Speak has triumphed in the North Richmond councillor byelection winning with 1,733 votes.

Stephen Speak beat runner-up Liberal Democrat candidate Jane Dodds by 146 votes, out of a total of 4,084 cast.

Labour candidate Brian Caton came third with 364 votes, Green Party candidate James Page got 206 votes and independent candidate Marc Cranfield-Adams got 123 votes.

North Richmond Conservative Lisa Blakemore said she was “really excited” that Mr Speak had been voted in.

She said: “It’s absolutely fabulous.

“Stephen has been active in this community for a long time. He has been living here for a while and campaigning for local issues.”

The results will keep the number of Conservative councillors at Richmond Council the same, with 30 Conservative seats to 24 Liberal Democrat seats.

There was a 52.4 per cent turnout for the elections out of a 7,796 electorate. There were 71 void votes.

A new councillor for North Richmond was needed when former ward councillor Richard Montague stepped down on March 23, because his new job required him to be in the Caribbean.

Mr Montague, who served from 2010, relinquished his post because his new role as head of airport operations, Caribbean, Virgin Atlantic Airways required extensive travel and time overseas.