Only 8.5 per cent of those eligible to vote turned out to elect a new Keighley town councillor for Bracken Bank & Ingrow ward.

UK Independence Party candidate Samuel Fletcher won last Thursday’s by-election, picking up 118 votes.

He saw off challenges from three other candidates, who ran as independents.

Barry Thorne, from Harewood Road, gained 80 votes, Andrew Spence, of Ashbourne Road, 79 votes and Denise Ryder, of Exley Mount, 61 votes.

Commenting after his victory, Mr Fletcher, 22, said: “It was a very fair campaign. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to win.

“I hadn’t had time to canvas many people, but I had delivered more than 1,000 of my personal leaflets to most houses in the ward.

“I think people are worried about spending at Keighley Town Council.

“The precept has gone up 73 per cent this year.

“There’s also a lot of other local issues people are concerned about, including crime, dog fouling and the smell of the animal waste wagons through South Street.”

Mr Fletcher, of Vernon Court, was born in Bradford, but has lived in Keighley for 17 years. He attended Oakbank School and studied politics, international relations and social studies at Bradford University.