A FORMER councillor has been re-elected to Shildon Town Council seven months after he stood down from the authority.

Councillor David Gordon won a by-election yesterday (Thursday, December 19) to take over the seat left vacant by the death of Councillor Theda Bannister.

Coun Gordon, who won 208 votes as a Labour candidate, stood down from the town council at the last election in May due to personal reasons.

His wife Councillor Muriel Gordon is also a member of the town council.

The only other candidate for the seat, George Lewis, stood as an Independent and gained 199 votes.

There was a 16 per cent voting turn-out.

Coun Bannister, a Labour member and Shildon’s deputy mayor, died of pneumonia in October after five years of serving the town.