Leicester council byelection sees huge swing to Tories in area hit by unrest

‘North Evington was one of the jewels in the crown in Leicester East with the majority that Labour had,’ said a former lord mayor. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

A Leicester council byelection resulted in a huge swing towards the Conservatives, as they took the seat from Labour, who were knocked into third place in an area gripped by civil unrest last month.

The Conservatives took 49.6% of the vote in North Evington, with a 32.7-point swing in their favour, while Labour received just 22.5% of votes.