LABOUR held its Cowley seat in yesterday’s by-election.

The party’s candidate, David Henwood, was elected to Oxford City Council with 512 votes.

Independent candidate Artwell, who came second in the same ward when it was contested in May, slipped to third with 257 votes, while Green Party candidate Hazel Dawe came second with 269.

Conservative candidate Katharine Harborne came fourth with 152 votes while UKIP candidate Ian McDonald came fifth with 72 and the Lib Dem candidate Prakash Sharma came last with 39.

Overall turnout was 28 per cent.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labour city councillor Helen O’Hara, who has moved out of the Oxford area.

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