RHerbert

Published at 00:00, Friday, 19 January 2007

KATH Unwin is the new councillor for Dalton North, hanging on to the seat for the Conservatives following the death of Barrow’s mayor, Bill Crosthwaite.

The result also maintains the political status quo in Barrow Town Hall, with the Conservatives holding 17 seats on Barrow Borough Council, Labour 18, independents two and the Peoples Party one.

In yesterday’s by-election, 38-year-old mother of one Mrs Unwin scooped 400 votes, Labour’s Denis Bell received 355 and Peoples Party candidate June Gibbons, 147. Only 902, out of 4,800 people eligible, voted.

After returning officer Tom Campbell announced her victory at Barrow Town Hall last night, Councillor Unwin, of Saves Lane, Ireleth, said: “I’m very happy to have been elected and I’d like to thank all the people who voted for me.

“I’ll do my utmost to ensure that I deal with any problems that anybody in the community approaches me with.

“If anybody has any problems I’m available for people to contact me.”

Cllr Unwin says the priority at the moment is to improve or replace Askam community centre in Duke Street.

She says the Dalton branch of the Conservative Party will be working together to get the best for the communities of Askam, Dalton, Lindal, Marton, Ireleth and Newton.

Cllr Unwin is a logistics support analysis engineer at BAE Systems Land Systems in Barrow.

She has been married to husband, John, 42, for 12 years.

The by-election was held following the death of Mr Crosthwaite.

The 80-year-old was one of the three Dalton North borough councillors, as well as being the mayor of Barrow, when he died on October 27 last year after collapsing at the town hall in Barrow.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk