CONSERVATIVE candidate David Drew has retained the Andover south electoral division in yesterday’s by-election.

Cllr Drew polled 1.183 votes, just ahead of Liberal Democrat Len Gates on 1,111 – Mr Gates is leader of the Lib-Dems on Test Valley Borough Council.

UKIP’s Anthony McCabe attracted the support of 233 people and was just 12 votes behind the Labour candidate John Newland.

Only 22 per cent of the 12,348 electorate bothered to vote.