Labour has won a key local authority by-election by just seven votes.

The party's candidate Matt Jackson took Darwen South ward of Blackburn with Darwen Council in the poll on Thursday.

It was called after sitting Independent councillor Andrew Walker, originally elected as a Conservative in May last year, was disqualified in October for failing to attend a council meeting for six months.

Mr Jackson got 569 votes to Conservative candidate Janine Crook's 562.

Liberal Democrat Mark Davies - a Darwen Town councillor and the son of the late long-serving LibDem councillor Roy - trailed in third with 137 votes.

The result increases Labour's majority on Blackburn with Darwen Council leaving it with 37 councillors to the Conservative's 13 and one Liberal Democrat - Darwen East ward's Cllr Paul Browne.

The new Cllr Jackson said on Facebook: "This result reflects the mood in hard-working households in Darwen South.

"The residents have spoken, they've had enough of Tory councillors taking them for granted.

"On the doorsteps residents were crying out for support, bewildered how previous Tory councillors are never to be seen on their streets.

"Darwen South residents have shouted out loud and ignore them at their peril."

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Phil Riley said: "I am absolutely delighted.

"I am confident Matt Jackson will be a fine councillor for Darwen South.

"This is a ward which the Tories won by 500 votes in May and now they have lost it.

"The result shows the revival of the Labour vote in Darwen."

Blackburn with Darwen Council Conservative group leader Cllr John Slater said: "It was very disappointing. Janine was an excellent candidate. Labour only scraped through by seven votes.

Cllr Browne said: "It is a very disappointing result."

Darwen South's other two councillors - Kevin Connor and Lilian Salton - are both Conservatives.

Andrew Walker had been elected in May last year with a majority of more than 500 votes having stood as a Conservative and then suspended by the party on the eve of poll for a social media post which appeared to show support for far-right EDL founder and convicted criminal Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as 'Tommy Robinson'.