LABOUR hung onto control of Rossendale Council after its candidate recieved almost half of the votes in yesterday's Stacksteads by-election.

Christine Lamb, of Cemetery Terrace, Bacup, was voted into the Stacksteads seat with 411 votes to secure Labour's 17 seats on the council.

She beat Liberal Democrat candidate Terence Haslam-Jones by 99 votes and the Conservatives, who were hoping the by-election would lead to them becoming the largest group on the council, were pushed into third place.

Conservative Susan Popland gained only 149 votes.

The polling station, at Stacksteads Methodist Church, was better attended than expected with a voter turnout of 30.77 per cent.

The by-election was called following the resignation of Labour councillor Dale Connearn who decided to retire from the council after 14 months to spend more time with his three children.

Mrs Lamb, who served as a Rossendale councillor 12 years ago, said: "I feel great that I have won. It's wonderful. Such a lot of people have helped us and everyone has worked really hard for this."

After the result was announced, Mr Connearn said: "I think she will be great. I was over the moon that she was selected and I know that she will do a good job. She is heavily involved in the community and I wish her all the best."

Before his resignation, Labour had 17 seats and the Conservatives had 17 seats, resulting in a hung council.

Labour lost overall control in May after only one year in power.

Despite last night's result, Rossendale Council will still remain hung with a Labour administration.

Leader of the council, Coun Graham Pearson, said: "It an excellent result for us."

Coun Lamb will now be splitting her time between helping her constituents and frying fish in the Something Fishy chip shop she runs, in Newchurch Road, Stacksteads.