INDEPENDENT candidate Kieron Wilson has been elected the new councillor for Throop and Muscliff.

A by-election was held yesterday, with Mr Wilson winning the seat by 22 votes, with 533.

Conservative candidate Hazel Allen got 511 votes, with Rob Bassinder for Labour bringing in 402 votes.

A second Independent candidate, Peter Lucas got 117 votes with Liberal Democrat candidate Muriel Turner getting 107.

Jane Bull, for the Green Party, got 33 votes.

The electoral turnout was 24.45 per cent.

It leaves the political composition of Bournemouth Borough Council unchanged with Conservatives retaining 51 seats, the Independents with two seats, and one Green councillor.

The election was called after veteran opposition councillor Anne Rey, an independent, resigned from Bournemouth council in November after 26 years, announcing plans to spend more time in Spain for health reasons.

Kieron Wilson also stood as an independent in June's General Election.