COMMUNITY pioneer Cheryl Reynolds has won a seat on Lyme Regis Town Council following an ‘overwhelming response’ of by-election votes in her favour.

Cheryl received 877 votes compared to schoolteacher Seroas Strain who received 384 votes; a difference of 493 votes and believed to be one of the largest ever majority votes in a town council by-election.

Town clerk John Wright, said the by-election voting saw a 44 per cent turn out of people, which is ‘very high’ for a town council by-election.

He added: “This percentage may have been exaggerated because people were also voting for the European elections on the same day.”

In her election address, Cheryl promised to do ‘all she could to get the Saturday town bus service reinstated’ and said she will work hard to tackle all aspects of concern in the community.

Cheryl, who was born and educated in Lyme Regis, has organised numerous events over the years to raise funds for good causes in the local community.

She recently played the lead role in raising more than £12,000 for the Lyme Regis skatepark, which was given the green light in April following decades of community campaigning.

Cheryl also holds a key role as advisor in the Lyme Regis Play Park Fundraising Association and together with the association has recently campaigned for the remodelling of the Anning Road playing field, which was also recently deemed a priority by the town council for the 2015 to 2016 financial year.

Lyme Regis town councillor Mark Gage told the Lyme Regis News that he had heard the number of votes for Cheryl in the by-election had been overwhelmingly in her favour.

He added: “I would like to welcome Cheryl to the town council and very much look forward to working with her in the best interests of the community.”

Seroas Strain, who lives near Axminster, teaches religious studies, local government and politics at the Woodroffe School – this year’s by-election marked his second attempt to win a seat on the town council.

The vacancy at Lyme Regis Town Council was caused by the resignation of Cheryl’s brother Daryl Turner, who is also a county and district councillor.