THE TWO new members of Okehampton Town Council are nurse Joanna Harrison and former special constable Robert Owers following a by-election where 20 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote.

Conservative candidate Mrs Harrison, 46, whose main interests are health and education, received 411 votes and independent Mr Owers gained 319 votes.

Liberal Democrat John Maguire had 253 votes, Conservative Robert Shea 241 votes, David Weekes 192 votes and Heather Whitbread 164 votes.

With nearly three times more parishioners voting in this by-election than the last one in February, the Town Council has put it down to the issuing of polling cards.

Mrs Harrison, who has two teenage daughters, said she was sure there would be a continued increase in participation in local elections if local people were included in crucial decisions.

'We must work to ensure that local residents are included in the decisions taken by councils, health authorities and other bodies that will be influencing the future,' she said.

The new councillors have praised all the townspeople who voted for them and the other opponents for the 'friendly competition.'

'We all wanted to see Okehampton cared for and looked after and I shall do my best to represent the views of the people of the town,' added Mrs Harrison.

Robert Owers has renewed his promise to make Okehampton the sort of town that the residents 'want and deserve.'

One of his main concerns is that the town has the infrastructure to cope with all the new housing planned over the next ten years.

'We needs infrastructure and business here or in a few years time we could end up as a dormitory town of Exeter instead of a market town in its own right,' said Mr Owers.

Treasurer of Okehampton Scouts and a former postman Mr Owers, 46, has recently retired on medical grounds and now has the time to spend on town matters.

'I am not a yes man and I will speak my mind if something concerns me or residents of the town,' he said.