Candidates revealed for Hartlepool Borough Council by-election following councillor's resignation with 'heavy heart'

The Throston by-election will take place on Thursday, May 1, to fill the vacancy left by Cameron Sharp, who recently confirmed “with a heavy heart” he had made the decision to stand down as a councillor.

The resignation came after he accepted a position as a teacher in a school managed by Hartlepool Borough Council and rules dictate this means he could no longer continue in the elected role.

The deadline for candidates to register to stand in the by-election has now passed and it has been confirmed three individuals will contest the poll.

The candidates are Lyndsey Allen (Labour and Co-operative Party), Amanda Napper (Reform UK) and Veronica Nicholson (Conservative Party).

Residents in the Throston ward wanting to vote in the by-election must ensure they are registered to do so by midnight Friday, April 11, which can be done online at: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Meanwhile applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes and amendments or cancellations of proxy votes must be made by 5pm on Monday, April 14.

For those without a valid form of photo voter ID, applications for a voter authority certificate valid for this election must be completed by 5pm on Wednesday, April 23, which can be done online at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.

Mr Sharp was initially elected to the Throston ward in a 2022 by-election after Amy Prince, who had been a Labour councillor since 2019, stepped down due to a career change.