LABOUR has tonight comfortably held three council seats in by-elections in Oxford.

The elections for Blackbird Leys and Northfield Brook wards in the city council and Leys division on the county council were triggered by the resignation of longstanding Leys representative Val Smith due to ill health.

Steve Curran won the Leys division with 879 votes. His nearest challenger as UKIP's Dave Slater on 168.

Linda Smith won the Blackbird Leys ward with 509 votes, again with Mr Slater coming second with 91.

Mr Curran was the sitting councillor in Northfield Brook but because new Labour rules prevent him from holding seats on both councils, he stood down from the city.

Sian Taylor won that contest in Northfield, with 401 votes, beating the Conservatives Gary Dixon, who polled 65 votes.

 

 

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