Labour have held onto a seat in Carlisle city centre.

Voters in the Castle ward went to the polls yesterday in a by-election sparked by the resignation of Labour city councillor Barrie Osgood.

The seat was held for Labour by Stephen Sidgwick who took 350 votes beating Conservative candidate John North into second place with 194 votes.

UKIP candidate Michael Story took 79 votes with Liberal Democrat David Wood taking 51 votes and Neil Boothman from the Green Party 36.

The total number of votes cast in the by-election was 711 with a turnout of 18.1%.

The city council is now made up of 27 Labour councillors, 20 Conservatives, four Independents and one Liberal Democrat.

Mr Osgood, 44, resigned the seat earlier this year after he was convicted of fraudulently claiming £3,500 in housing benefit from the city council.