BY-ELECTION IN PROSPECT FOLLOWING RESIGNATION OF LABOUR COUNCILLOR

                                                       

Chris Nichols - no longer a councillor 

JUST days after the local elections in North East Lincolnshire Council, voters in Grimsby' Heneage ward could soon be going to the polls again.

This follows the unexpected resignation of Labour councillor Chris Nichols.

Mr Nicols' term of office was not due to expire until May next year, so he was not one of the candidates in the polls of earlier this month. 

He served on NELC's communities scrutiny panel and planning committee.

It is not know why he has stepped down.

A by-election is expected to be held within the next 35 days.

It will prove a costly inconvenience to cash-strapped NELC, but it is a price that has to be paid for democracy.