London Triumph in Leyton

9.36.00pm GMT Mon 18th Feb 2008

London Liberal Democrats are celebrating a great victory in London, after Winnie Smith won the Leyton by-election from Labour with a resounding victory.

The election was caused by the sitting Labour councillor being found guilty of running a smear campaign in the 2006 elections against a Lib Dem councillor. The Labour councillor has been fined and barred from office.

So Leyton ward once again enjoys a full set of Liberal Democrat councillors and there are now 20 Lib Dem councils in the Waltham Forest borough.

Winnie gained well over half the votes - almost double the votes of Labour in second. Dave Cameron's Tories trailed in a sorry fourth, with a miserable 4% of vote.

Abigail Lock, Croydon's candidate for GLA, was delighted: "This is a great result and gives us a fantastic really makes a great start to our London campaign."

Abigail is helping with London Lib Dems' next target: Cheam, in Sutton, where a Tory councillor has been suspended and local Tories are disarray.

Related Links:

Read more about Leyton by-election result.

Former Lib Dem councillor sends message of thanks to Leyton.