Argument follows Cliffsend parish election

​THERE were dramatic scenes at the Cliffsend village election last night, after one parish councillor refused to recognise the result.

Vera Hovenden won the seat after beating competitor James Berry by just one vote.

But just seconds after Thanet council’s returning officer, Glenn Back declared Mrs Hovenden the winner, village Cllr Beryl Harrison announced: “I wish to make a formal complaint.”

Cllr Harrison, who stood with a small crowd, said: “We were stood at the front of the village hall and we didn’t speak about the election and she (Vera Hovenden) was openly asking people to vote for her. It is against the rules to ask people.

Newly elected parish councillor Vera Hovenden shrugged off the complaint, saying: “I’m delighted with the result and I look forward to working on the things in my manifesto. I shall go into my first parish council meeting in February with an open mind.”

Returning officer Glenn Back said any complaints would be passed on to Thanet council chief executive Richard Samuel to look into.

See Friday's Isle of Thanet Gazette for the full story of the ensuing argument.