The Tories have defeated Labour to take their former seat in the Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay by-election. 

Last night Conservative candidate Dave Coleman took 37.3 per cent of the vote to hold off a challenge from Labour's Billy Pollock and the SNP's Neale Havnvey - both former Fife councillors. 

The by-election was triggered following the resignation of shadow Scottish secretary Lesley Laird as a Fife councillor. Ms Laird was elected as Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath MP at last year's general election but carried on her duties as councillor until she became the deputy Scottish Labour leader. 

Dave Coleman will join Tory group leader Dave Dempsey in representing the four-councillor ward, alongside the SNP's Alice McGarry and David Barratt. 

Mr Coleman has served as the vice-chairman of Dalgety Bay and Hillend Community Council, but his campaign took a hit when he was exposed as mocking disabled and poor people in past Facebook posts. 

When polls closed at 10pm it was initially thought it was going to be a close fight between the Conservatives, SNP and Labour. 

However, a higher turnout in Dalgety Bay - where the Tories have performed well - compared to a lower turnout in Inverkeithing, meant the vote swung in favour of the Conservatives. 

Labour took a quite a blow taking only 12% of the vote despite candidate Billy Pollock's optimism for his campaign. 

In Fife Council's 2017 election Labour’s Lesley Laird was voted through at second-preference votes. 

While the SNP's Neale Hanvey took 28.1% of the vote. 

Liberal Democrat candidate Callum Hawthorne, Green candidate Mags Hall, Scottish Libertarian representative Calum Paul and Independents Peter Collins and Alastair Macintyre were also on the election list for the 14,484 registered voters in the ward. 

Voter turnout was relatively high at 43.1% but took a dip compared to 53.2 % in last year’s election.

Result

Dave Coleman – Conservative – 2309

Peter Collins – Independent – 521

Mags Hall – Green – 257

Neale Hanvey – SNP – 1741

Callum Hawthorne – Lib Dems – 566

Alastair Macintyre – Independent – 40

Calum Paul – Scottish Libertarian – 13

Billy Pollock – Labour – 744

Turnout: 43.1%.