Video: By-Election Result: John Davey wins district council seat

DUNMOW North became a close battleground on Thursday night as conservative candidate John Davey overcame his Liberal Democrat opponent, Julia Hirons, by just 54 votes to win the district council seat.

Party officials, members of the public and press joined the candidates in the Dourdan Pavilion at 10pm, once voting for the day had finished. And after no less than four recounts the results were declared.

In total 1088 people voted on the day, a turn out of just over 42 per cent, and nearly an hour and a half after counting started Mr Davey was making his winning speech after receiving 569 votes, to Mrs Hirons' 515.

Mr Davey said: "I am very pleased indeed to have won, it was certainly a fierce and close fought battle. I thank the support of my party and everyone who voted for me."

Reporter Nick Thompson spoke to the new district councillor straight after the announcement and asked him what he hoped to achieve in his new post. Mr Davey said: "I want to help Great Dunmow achieve all I can in the coming years, I am looking forward to finding my way around the district council and to make a real impression on the issues that matter to this town."

Mrs Hirons was graceful in defeat and offered her best wishes to Mr Davey. "Someone had to win and someone had to lose, it was close, but I wish John the best of luck."

The result of the by-election, sparked by Mark Gayler's resignation last month, does mean that the Conservatives have now pinched a seat from the Liberal Democrats and Dunmow North has turned blue on the Uttlesford political map.

It isn't all bad news for Mrs Hirons, however, as she got married on Saturday to her fiancé Milan Milovanovic, a Dunmow town councillor, and will be going on a three- week honey moon to Kenya.

For councillor Davey the hard work starts here.