Reform UK has made a major Norfolk breakthrough after taking its first seat on one of the county's councils at a by-election.
Scott Hussey was the runaway winner in Breckland's Bedingfield district, which includes places such as Cockley Cley, Gooderstone, Ickburgh and Mundford.
Mr Hussey won with 414 votes, 205 clear of second place Conservative candidate Paula Wood. Labour's Douglas Jefferson garnered 99 votes, while 41 voted for Green Timothy Soar.
Mr Hussey becomes Norfolk's second Reform UK local councillor, but the first to win his seat at the ballot box.
The by-election was triggered after long-standing Conservative councillor Ian Sherwood resigned from his position last month.
Mr Sherwood, who was first elected to Breckland Council in 1999, previously worked in the parliamentary office of former prime minister Liz Truss and had acted as her election agent.
The result will be further ammunition for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party to criticise the decision to postpone Norfolk County Council's May elections because of the drive for devolution.
Mr Hussey previously stood in last year's parliamentary election for Bury St Edmunds, where he came third behind Labour winner Peter Prinsley, a Norwich city councillor and Conservative Will Tanner.
Reform UK won their first Norfolk parliamentary seat in that election, with Rupert Lowe triumphing in Great Yarmouth.
In West Norfolk, Peter Hodson and Julian Kirk, who had been part of the Conservative group, are hoping to set up a Reform faction following a split from their former colleagues, although they are currently serving as independents.
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