Turnout in council by-elections around 20 per cent

TURNOUT in the two Shetland Islands Council by-elections is sitting at around 20 per cent.

By 5pm 21 per cent of the electorate in the Lerwick South ward had voted.

That figure for the Shetland Central ward was 18 per cent.

Polls opened in the two wards at 7am this morning (Thursday) and they will close at 10pm.

In Lerwick South, 62 per cent of the 526 postal voters had voted come 5pm, while in Shetland Central 54 per cent of the 355 postal voters had had their say.

Around 15 per cent of the 2,536 people registered at the Gilbertson Park Games Hall polling station had voted by 5pm. That figure for the Gulberwick Hall was 11 per cent of 362 voters.

Turnout at the Burra, Scalloway and Tingwall halls was around 12 and 13 per cent.

The candidates in Lerwick South are Stephen Flaws, Caroline Henderson, Gary Robinson, Frances Valente and Arwed Wenger.

In Shetland Central Johan Adamson, Julie Buchan, Stewart Douglas, Gordon Laverie and Moraig Lyall are in the running.

All candidates are independent apart from Douglas, who is standing for the SNP.

The Lerwick vacancy was triggered after former councillor Beatrice Wishart was elected as Shetland’s new MSP.

In the central ward Mark Burgess stepped down for personal reasons.

Votes will be counted on Friday morning at Lerwick Town Hall and Shetland News will provide coverage from the event.