A NEW conservative councillor has said he will try to do more for his village's marina during his time in office.

Paul Larkin, Conservative, was elected to the Harrington ward on Workington Town Council on August 4, with 273 votes.

Paul, 58, has lived in Salterbeck since 2012 and spends his time as a full-time carer.

Speaking about his election, Mr Larkin said: "It hasn't quite sunk in if I'm honest, I spent most of my time telling myself I probably won't win.

"When I won by about 53 votes it came as a shock."

"I really do need to try and get the Harrington Marina Day back on and I am going to do my best to get that back on, we as Conservative councillors are going to try to do that.

"In the long term I want to see that Harrington Marina used for more stuff, it's a wonderful space and it just doesn't get used, you go to Whitehaven and they have everything on that marina and I want to try and get something like that for Workington."

The Harrington Marina Day, which was cancelled by Workington Town Council last week, has been a point of contention during the election.

When asked if he thought the cancellation had affected how people voted, Mr Larkin said: "I very much do think that, every door that I knocked on said 'yes we are voting Conservative', and every one mentioned the marina day being cancelled, virtually every one said if you can get that sorted than you have got my vote.

Mr Larkin has said it's been ambition of his for years, he said: "It's something that I have thought about for years.

"I joined the Conservative Party about three years ago and I actually went to the elections back in May/June time and I went to the count afterwards. 

"One of the guys from the Conservative Association was talking to me and I said I had always fancied having a go - he said we might have one coming up, do you fancy standing?

"Without thinking I said yes.

"My main aim is to do something for people, rather than use it as a status symbol - that's not me - I'm about the people in Harrington and what they want."

Mike Rollo, from the Labour Party also stood in the by-election gaining 220 votes.

Total number of votes cast was 497 - with four rejected ballots.

The by-election was to replace former Workington Town councillor and last year's mayor Herbert Briggs, after he stood down from the council.