Residents of Ormskirk's Knowsley Ward have re-elected Labour's Gareth Dowling to serve a second term at Thursday's by-election.

The result extends Dowling's majority from 28 votes in 2014 to 74 this time around.

Labour ran a positive campaign focusing on Gareth's impressive record of action on roads, flooding, student housing and drugs, concentrating on continuing with these priorities for the next four years.

Opposition parties the Conservatives and Our West Lancashire swapped votes with each other since May's elections, while the Labour vote held up well despite the usual dip in turnout at by-elections.

Speaking after the result, Cllr Gareth Dowling - pictured with Mayor Noel Delaney - said: "I’m honoured that residents have chosen to re-elect me to continue working on the issues that matter to them - improving road safety, tackling student housing, increasing flood defences and addressing issues of drug dealing and usage.

"I'm very grateful to the residents for again showing faith in me to make their voices heard. I would like to thank those who have contacted me since Thursday and I am already carrying out casework on their behalf."

His Agent and Leader of the Council, Cllr Ian Moran added: "Gareth is a hardworking community activist and the Knowsley Ward Team, alongside Nikki Hennessy and Adam Yates, is well-known and highly regarded for action and delivering outcomes for residents.

"Despite some nasty and wholly inaccurate statements made about Gareth and Labour by other parties, residents have responded positively to what we are trying to achieve.

"We have overturned the Conservatives' blue bin charge, are investing millions of pounds in the leisure facilities at Park Pool and have shot down attempts by opposition to bail out greedy landlords using taxpayers’ money.

"Gareth will be a hardworking ward councillor, as he always was, and will be a valuable addition to the council."

The by-election came about due to the unfortunate resignation of Michelle Aldridge who had to resign due to personal reasons.

What an interesting spin by Councillor Dowling who increased his majority from 28 to 74 votes in 4 years , not very impressive .Michelle Aldridge , who stood for the first time In May gained over 1,000 votes . Gareth Dowling actually lost hundreds of votes as did the conservatives in the recent elections . Compare the votes in May 2018 to July 2018 , only 2 months between . The OWL candidate was 700 votes behind in May but in the recent by election was only 74 votes behind Labour . It shows residents are fed up with the bickering etc from the main 2 parties who both equally lost votes .