A CONTROVERSIAL by-election for a parish council seat will not go ahead after the Lib Dem party fluffed its paperwork.

Statements of intent to stand for the Bruche ward of Poulton-with-Fearnhead Parish Council had to be with the parish council clerk by noon on Friday.

But Lib Dem candidate Peter Edward’s paperwork was invalid making his application void.

Labour’s Ian Johnson, who was elected following May’s botched elections and then resigned in January following an independent report, will take up his seat on the parish council again.

Mr Edwards’ form was rejected for referring to him as ‘The Liberal Democrat Party candidate’, rather than ‘Liberal Democrat candidate’ as the council has on its books, he said, adding that he was 'devastated'.

More in this Thursday's Warrington Guardian.