Voters in Wootton Bassett will today go to the polls to decide the newest member of the town council.

Conservative member Josephine Linton resigned from her Wootton Bassett North seat earlier this year, due to ill health.

A by-election, contested between Independent Mark Hopkins and Liberal Democrat Jenny Stratton, will be held today.

The Tories, who won all 16 council seats at the May election, have not put up a candidate.

They had stated their desire to co-opt another member, while they were not keen to spend more money on a campaign.

Mr Hopkins was active in the campaign to save the Lime Kiln Centre and is also a governor at Wootton Bassett School.

He currently works as transformation director at Swindon Capita Partnership and is an honorary life member of the Otters Swimming and Lifesaving Club.

He said: "I believe the town council should not be about party politics, but about a group of councillors working together."

Mrs Stratton, who has lived in the town for over 30 years, was a town councillor from 1986 and 1999.

She was also a North Wiltshire district councillor from 1987 to 2003.

Since taking early retirement from her career as a systems analyst and project manager, she has worked in adult social services and in schools, as a part-time teaching assistant.

Mrs Stratton said: "I would like to be assertive about getting the town represented adequately when the new Wiltshire unitary authority is introduced."

Polling takes place at the Lime Kiln Centre between 7am and 10pm.