REDBRIDGE was just 157 votes short of getting its second British National Party (BNP) councillor in the Bridge by-election last Thursday.

In an election that maintained the status quo while throwing up a shock result, the Conservatives held on to the ward with a dramatically reduced majority as the BNP garnered votes from all political parties.

When James Leal won the seat for the Tories in May he was elected with 1,617 votes, giving him a massive 1,019 majority over Lucinda Culpin, the closest opposition candidate.

In comparison to May's relative landslide victory Geoffrey Hinds, the new Bridge ward councillor squeaked in with a vastly-reduced majority as Daniel Warville, the BNP candidate, got 857 votes.

Labour was pushed into a poor third place getting 299 votes and the Lib Dems only managed to get 245 votes.

The Green Party's share of the vote was reduced from 404 to 147.

When the BNP won its first seat on Redbridge Council in May's election it provoked anger from defeated candidates who declared the elecorate did not realise what they were doing by voting in a party which proposes in its manifesto a "system of voluntary resettlement" for legal immigrants to "their lands of ethnic origin".

On winning his seat on the council, Julian Leppart declared that Hainault would now be "a corner of Redbridge that would remain forever England".

After this result leaders of the major parties who saw their share of vote vastly reduced, said the BNP put up a strong campaign and that the parties must work together to stop the rise of the far right.

Lib Dem leader Hugh Cleaver said: "The BNP worked the area very hard and in some houses a dozen different leaflets were dropped through the door.

"They were running a very extensive campaign which took the other parties by surprise.

"Legitimate concerns about building and development are being exploited by the BNP and turned into zenophobia.

"All political parties have got a responsibility to listen to the issues that local people have and to work to address them."

Elaine Norman, leader of the Labour Party in Redbridge said: "The BNP exploit people's fears and the parties have to work together to address people's concerns over housing."

Pleased at the number of people who voted for him, BNP candidate David Warville thanked his supporters and pledged that "there will be a BNP councillor next time, I guarantee it."

Mr Hinds said: "We must work to regain the confidence of the voters."

He added that the Conservatives held on to Bridge ward as it was a fitting tribute to the memory of Cllr James Leal, who died suddenly in May, aged 30.