Foster 'delight' at poll victory

The Democratic Unionist Party has won the Enniskillen council by-election.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster received 1,925 first preference votes, putting her ahead of the Sinn Féin's Debbie Coyle, who got 1,815.

The presiding officer declared her the winner after she secured 3,165 votes after the second round of transfers in the proportional representation poll.

Mrs Foster said she was "absolutely delighted" at the result.

"If I take anything from this election, it's that the unionist community rallied around the fact that we had called for unionist co-operation and I think that's been tremendous," she added.

The Ulster Unionist Party's Basil Johnston received 1,436 first preference votes and the SDLP's Rosemary Flanagan got 739.

Mr Johnston defended his party's decision not to support the straight co-option of a DUP candidate, without the need for a by-election, after the death of DUP veteran councillor Joe Dodds.

"It was important that the people had a voice and if it had been a co-option they would have been denied that," he said.

The turnout was 50% with about 12,000 people eligible to vote.

Alliance Party candidate Dr Kumar Kamble polled 231 votes with the independent Karen McHugh receiving 158 votes.

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