Former police officer is new district councillor for Orwell ward
A new district councillor has been elected in the Orwell and Villages ward - Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
A new district councillor has been elected for East Suffolk Council after a hard-fought by-election in the Orwell Ward of the council.
The election, which took place yesterday saw Conservative Mick Richardson elected as district councillor with 873 votes.
Liberal Democrat candidate Michael Ninnmey received 800 votes and David Rowe from the Labour party 230.
Mick Richardson served as a sergeant with Suffolk Constabulary before retiring and setting up his own drone business - Credit: Archant
The Green Party did not put up a candidate in the election after it stood down and urged its supporters to vote for the Lib Dems.
The by-election comes after former Conservative district councillor Melissa Allen stepped down earlier this year.
The ward includes villages between Ipswich and Felixstowe, including Nacton and the Trimleys.
There was a turn out of 24.7% and 10 ballot papers were rejected.
Felixstowe-born Mr Richardson already serves as a member of Felixstowe Town Council, representing the Marshes Ward.
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Educated at the old Deben High School in the town, he worked for the Felixstowe Dock & Railway Company and then after serving two years as a Special Constable joined the regular police service in 1987, working out of Felixstowe.
He also served as secretary of the local Police Federation until his retirement from Suffolk Constabulary in late 2016. He now runs his own business flying ‘drones’ commercially and training and assessing other drone pilots.
