CHRISTMAS, the weather, and women, have all been blamed by the British National Party (BNP) for losing them one of their safest seats.

In a closely fought by-election battle for Loughton Town Council's Broadway, ward Katie Nicholson of the Loughton Residents' Association (LRA), won by 23 votes ahead of The BNP’s Edward Long.

BNP district council group leader Cllr Pat Richardson said: “I'm a little bit disappointed but it was very close.

“There was the weather, it's the run up to Christmas and other matters. There's always apathy. It seems to be the main presence for people these days. They're turned off by the whole business of politics.

“I think it was partly tactics on the part of the other group. They had a woman in. It seems to make a difference.

"It' s only one round not the whole thing. I think a lot more people are edging towards us.” Loughton's LRA town mayor Cllr Ken Angold-Stephens hailed the result as a fantastic success.

He said: “It was an excellent result for us. It's the first time we have contested that ward and to come from nothing to win was an incredible achievement.

“It was the BNP's strongest ward so I think they must be hugely disappointed. Last time there was a big protest vote and people voted BNP because they had no other choice. We have given them that choice.”

The election was called after the resignation due to ill health of the sitting BNP councillor Garry Martin.