HEREFORDSHIRE Council has confirmed this morning (Mon) that the irregularities around the vote in Hereford's Saxon Gate ward only require a re-run of the election for the city council ward.

Indications at Friday's count initially put both wards up for by-election with the narrow Tory victory in a ward IOC was widely tipped to win.

The overall result was put on hold for confirmation of what the extent of "spoiled" voting meant to the result in both the county and city wards.

Opposition groups were already gearing up for a fresh challenge for the county council seat.

This morning, those ambitions were tempered toward a city council success.

In a statement the council said:

"The parish ward elections for Saxon Gate showed a disproportionately high number of spoiled ballot papers, particularly where voters had selected more than one candidate.

As a consequence the deputy returning officer countermanded the election.

This has the effect of invalidating Thursday's election in the parish ward of Hereford City council.

All the candidates have been informed and a by election will be arranged in due course.

This does not affect the declared result for the Saxon Gate Ward of Herefordshire Council".

Final result for Saxon Gate in the council council election then was:

Con - 549, IOC - 530, Lib Dem - 350, Ind - 96

That confirms the overall final countyb council result as:

Con - 29, IOC - 12, Ind - 8, Green - 2, Lib Dem - 2