A self-employed teacher won yesterday’s district council by-election for the Worth Valley Ward.

Conservative candidate Russell Brown picked up 1,020 votes, comfortably ahead of his closest challenger, Labour’s Mark Curtis, who received 697 votes.

Robert Swindells, of the Green Party, was in third place with 235 votes, while Liberal Democrat candidate Sharon Purvis came fourth with 180.

The count took place last night at Keighley Leisure Centre.

A spokesman for Bradford Council’s Electoral Services said a total of 2,139 people voted - a percentage turnout of 19.46.

The by-election followed the resignation of Kris Hopkins, who stepped down from his council seat to concentrate on his duties as Keighley MP.