Victories for Labour and Conservatives in by-elections

Only 18 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote in St James's ward on Thursday where Labour's Cathryn Bayton was elected.

She polled 847 votes (46 per cent) to win the seat which was left vacant following the death of Labour councillor Mary Roberts who had held the seat for the previous eight years.

UKIP's Graeme Lloyd polled 554 votes (30 per cent). He had been rushed to hospital earlier in the day suffering from a possible blood infection but was able to attend the count at Dudley Town Hall.

The Tory's Wayne Sullivan was third with 427 votes (23 per cent).

Meanwhile the Conservatives held onto Kingswinford North and Wall Heath.

Edward Lawrence polled 1,456 votes (54 per cent) to retain the seat left vacant by the resignation of Natalie Neale, who quit the seat in December for personal reasons.

Labour's Lynn Boleyn, who had previously served as a Labour councillor in the ward and before that as a Liberal Democrat, came second with 934 votes (34.5 per cent).

UKIP's vote dropped from 21 per cent last year to 9.6 per cent, with Mick Forsyth polling 262 votes. The Green Party's Andi Mohr came fourth with just 52 votes.

The total turnout in Kingswinford North and Wall Heath was 26 per cent.