A by-election is to be held in Preston due a councillor stepping down.

Ashton councillor Angela Vodden has resigned less than a year after being elected.

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Ms Vodden held the ward for Labour in 2016 with a majority of 139 votes, with the Conservatives finishing second.

The Ashton ward will be contested at the same time as the Lancashire County Council elections.

Labour leader and council leader councillor Peter Rankin said Ms Vodden had recently been appointed to a local authority job in Wales, meaning she needed to move.

He said: “She will be moving and it almost certainly will be a restricted job. We are sorry to lose her.

“We will be selecting a candidate in the next week or so.”

The election will take place on Thursday 4 May confirmed Preston City Council and the Preston Rural East ward is also to be contested following the death of Tom Davies.

Preston Conservatives confirmed they would be fielding a candidate in the contest.