By-election to be held after councillor resigns

A by-election will be held in a West Northamptonshire ward after one of its councillors resigned from his post.

Adam Smith was originally elected as a Reform UK councillor but was suspended by the party a month after last May's local elections - and has since sat as an independent.

Smith had picked up 1,063 votes in the election and took one of the two seats in Hackleton and Roade, as Reform took control of the authority by winning 42 of the 76 seats available.

The by-election is set to be held on 7 May, the same date as the rest of this year's local elections in England.

Reform also won control of North Northamptonshire Council at last year's election, but the party has since seen a number of councillors defect or leave their posts across the county's two unitary authorities.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.