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Walsall’s Labour Party could be poised to take control of the local council following a by-election victory last night.

The victory in the Birchills-Leamore seat gives the party 30 out of the 60 council seats which could be enough to depose the ruling Tory-Lib Dem administration.

Last month the Tory Mike Bird retained council leadership by a single vote with the backing of a rainbow alliance of the Lib Dems, º£½ÇÊÓƵIP and two independent councillors.

But now the election of Labour councillor Chris Jones would be enough to seize control for the first time in more than a decade - assuming Walsall Mayor Pete Smith abstains from the vote.

Labour has called for a special meeting of the council.

The by-election was called after Labour group leader Tim Oliver lost his long-running battle with cancer in May.

Coun Jones said: “Tim Oliver’s legacy gave us a great base to start from but we never took this election for granted. Party members and supporters were out on the streets every day for weeks. I look forward to helping Labour to take control of Walsall Council.“

• Result: Chris Jones (Lab) 1,075 votes, Gazanfer Ali (Cons) 710, Paul White (º£½ÇÊÓƵIP) 445 and Chris Newey (Eng Dem) 20. The turnout was 22.4 per cent.

Labour now hold 30 seats, Conservatives have 21, º£½ÇÊÓƵIP and the Liberal Democrats both hold three, there is one Democratic Labour councillor and two Independents.