A Leicestershire council seat that was last held by the Green Party has been won by the Conservatives.
James Poland will be the next representative of Wreake Valley ward at Charnwood Borough Council.
The Tory candidate, who already serves on Leicestershire County Council, secured 1,091 votes, beating Reform UK nominee Michael Slade by more than 300 votes.
The by-election came after Laurie Needham, leader of the Greens for the borough, stepped down due to personal circumstances.
The Green candidate, Hamzah Sheikh, came in third with 372 votes.
Labour nominee Jamie Dyas secured 69 votes and Lib Dem Murray Sinclair came in fifth with 24.
He said: “I’ve been fiercely opposed to the expansion of Leicester. It’s a massive white hot issue – these villages have their own identity and they don’t see themselves as a suburb of Leicester because they’re not.
“I pride myself on being responsive and getting results for residents in my ward first and foremost. If you need to get something done, go to James Poland.”
The result means that the authority still has no political party with overall control.
Labour runs the council with 20 seats and a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Green party, which used to have eight seats but now has seven.
There are now 23 Conservatives and two independents.
Full results:
The voter turnout was 26.28 per cent.
By Caitlin James, Local Democracy Reporter