A BY-election for the seat of former Worcestershire County Council leader Dr George Lord is taking place today.

Six candidates have put themselves forward in a bid to win the Alvechurch seat and represent the area at County Hall.

June Griffiths will be attempting to hold on to the seat for the Conservatives but will face opposition from Liberal Democrat Howard Allen and Labour’s Christopher Bloore.

Steven Morson, UK Independence Party, and independents Dee Morton and Kenneth Wheatley are also in the running.

Voting is open until 10pm.

We previously reported in your Worcester News how Dr Lord resigned in November after five female members of staff at County Hall made separate complaints of alleged inappropriate sexual behaviour against him.

It was understood he denied the allegations.

Dr Lord was subsequently arrested following a police investigation into alleged sexual offences and later released on bail.

It is not known whether the arrest was linked to the complaints from County Hall staff, other individuals, or an alleged historic sexual offence officers were previously looking into a couple of days after Dr Lord’s sudden resignation.