Conservative candidates have won both vacant council seats in the Coombe Vale double by-election.
Lynne Finnerty and Julie Pickering replace former Conservative councillors James White and Robert-John Tasker who resigned last month.
Cllr Finnerty said: “I’m delighted residents have trusted me with their votes. I believe the fact that Julie and I are local, honest and hardworking came across in our positive campaign.”
Both Ms Finnerty and Ms Pickering received more than 1,300 votes each, over 400 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate Kamala Kugan.
Ms Finnerty, a part-time administrative assistant, campaigned strongly on education issues including a need for a new primary school in New Malden and parking enforcement near schools.
Cllr Finnerty said: “I hope the initiatives being undertaken by Conservatives in Malden and Coombe will offer a better future for our local High Street.”
Cllr Finnerty said she would also be pushing for greater transparency in council decision-making and seeking to ensure that proper consideration was given to how communities could use council-owned land before it was sold privately.
Cllr Finnerty will be joined in representing Coombe Vale on council by running-mate Ms Pickering, a business consultant, and pre-existing Conservative counsellor Adrian Holder.
The victory means the make-up of council remains unchanged with the 27 Liberal Democrat councillors still holding a majority over the 21 Conservative counsellors.
43 per cent of constituents voted in the by-election.
