Council facing ward by-election

Electronic systems will not be used for the by-election

A by-election will have to be held to replace a Dumfries and Galloway councillor who has resigned.

Conservative member for the Abbey ward, Bruce Hodgson, decided to step down on Tuesday as a result of his family's relocation to Southampton.

A spokeswoman for the council confirmed it would mean voters in the area going to the polls again rather than using the results from last May's election.

Mr Hodgson has been a councillor in the region for about four-and-a-half years.

A spokeswoman for Dumfries and Galloway Council said any resignation required a by-election.

Manual count

She said it was not possible to use the results from nine months ago to select a replacement.

She added that the count would be carried out manually rather than using electronic methods.

The Abbey ward returned two Tories, one Labour and one SNP councillor at the recent elections.

Dumfries and Galloway Council is run by a Conservative coalition with the Lib Dems.

They form a minority administration relying on the "constructive opposition" of SNP councillors.