A Liberal Democrat candidate who was suspended by his party after being charged with fraud has been elected on to North Walsham Town Council.
Glenn Burrows, 32, still stood for the party at the by-election, on Thursday, July 20, because his suspension came too late.
Labour's Elaine Addison was also elected on to the council after winning the North Walsham West ward by-election with 229 votes to Mr Burrows' 210. She becomes the first Labour councillor elected in North Norfolk.
Lib Dem Rob Scammell won 209 votes and Andy Davidson, Independent, 160.
Sarah Butikofer, leader of the Lib Dems at North Norfolk District Council, said: 'As far as we are concerned, Mr Burrows is an Independent councillor now.'
Miss Addison said it was a key time to join the town council.
She said: 'With thousands of new homes proposed for the town, it's crucial that the town council gets the services and the roads needed to support these developments. North Walsham needs more GPs and school places as well as a bypass.'
Mr Burrows, of Princes Street in North Walsham, was charged in June with one count of obtaining services dishonestly, under the Fraud Act, and one count of acquiring criminal property.
He has been bailed to appear at Norwich Magistrates' Court on August 4.
He was suspended by the Lib Dems on Tuesday, but the cut-off point for withdrawing candidates was June 23, meaning the party could not remove Mr Burrows as one of their candidates on the ballot paper.
A spokesman for North Walsham Town Council said: 'Any candidate duly elected at a poll is subsequently required to sign a declaration of office. In this case the declaration needs to be signed before or at the next meeting of North Walsham Town Council (this can be extended by the town council if they choose to do so). The next meeting is Tuesday, July 25.
'If that declaration is not signed, a casual vacancy would be declared and filled either through election, if requested, or co-option.'
Stephen Burke, chairman of the North Norfolk Labour Party, said: 'The result builds on Labour's resurgence nationally and locally. 'Labour has well over 700 members in North Norfolk, many more than all the other parties.'
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