The Liberal Democrats will be represented on Brent Council for the first time since 2014 following a by-election.

Anton Georgiou was elected to represent Alperton as he secured a majority of almost 400 votes from his nearest challenger, Labour’s Chetan Harpale.

The Labour Party had held all three seats in Alperton, but a by-election was called following the resignation of James Allie.

Cllr Georgiou said: “I am totally overwhelmed. I knew that we’d run a strong campaign, but I knew it would be an uphill battle to beat Labour.

“We fought very hard and clearly that fight has paid off. I’m looking forward to representing Alperton and the Liberal Democrats in Brent.

“It’s about time we had a Liberal Democrat back on the council and I’m looking forward to being a strong liberal voice for Brent.”

Elections were held in two other wards following further resignations at the end of last year, with two councillors filling vacant slots in Barnhill and another in Wembley Central.

Labour held onto all three seats – Sonia Shah was elected in Wembley Central, while Mansoor Akram and Gaynor Lloyd were successful in Barnhill.

The Barnhill ward was a tightly fought contest, with the Labour representatives seeing off their Conservative rivals by around 100 votes each.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said it had been a “great night” for Labour and he was looking forward to working with the new councillors.

He said: “We’ve just come out of a General Election where Labour took a pounding so to be in a position where three party candidates have got in is fantastic.

“It demonstrates that when you have the right policies, people will believe in you.

“It’s about continuing our improvements. We’ve faced £173 million worth of cuts over the last ten years, but we’ve managed to make sure that we spend wisely and resource it in the frontline services that people depend on.

He added that the fresh faces coming into the council will benefit those already working on it and will help improve the lives of people in the borough.

“Having new people coming in reinvigorates you and another opportunity to reflect on what people have said during the campaign,” he said.

“Anyone getting into politics does so for one reason – to serve the public. And that’s what we’re all here for – to serve the people of Brent.”