Labour hold Royton North

ROYTON NORTH WINNER . . . Clint Phythian with wife Susan and son Kyle.

LABOUR has held the Royton North ward for Oldham Council.

The party candidate, Clint Phythian, won it with 2,504. Conservative candidate Alan Fish came second with 2,047 votes, giving Mr Phythian a majority of 457.

A by-election was called when long-standing Labour councillor Tony Larkin died in March.

Councillor Phythian said: "I'm elated. This is fantastic. I know the Tories have got a large vote so I was getting a bit worried before. But in the end it was fine. I'm going to work with the other two councillors and carry on the good work they have done before, such as on the Lidl supermarket and the leisure centre.

"We will continue with the hard work and move forward, and fight against the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework."