MIDDLEWICH Town Council will have two vacancies for 11 months after enough Cledford residents contacted borough chiefs to trigger a by-election.

The ward lost two town councillors last month when Labour's Helen and Russell Watkinson stood down for health reasons.

New councillors would have been co-opted onto the town council if fewer than 10 residents had contacted Cheshire East Council calling for a by-election.

But enough residents have now contacted CEC to trigger the by-election, which cannot take place until May 2021 due to coronavirus.

All elections in England were postponed until that date earlier in the pandemic, including the vote for Cheshire's police and crime commissioner, which was supposed to take place last month.

The by-election is likely to cost Middlewich Town Council a figure in the region of £10,000.

Anyone interested in standing as a councillor can visit beacouncillor.co.uk to find out more about the role.

For more information, contact clerk Lisa Benskin be emailing clerk@middlewich.org.uk