The winning Liberal Democrat candidate in the Waverley Borough Council Chiddingfold and Dunsfold by-election has said “there was a clear appetite for change”.

Dave Busby stormed to a stunning victory in the December 1 by-election – becoming the first-ever Lib Dem elected to the former “Blue Wall” seat of Chiddingfold and Dunsfold with a 67 per cent share of the 979 votes cast.

His victory also secured a 17th borough seat for the Lib Dems – putting the party just one seat behind the Conservatives at Waverley, and increasing the Lib Dem/Farnham Residents/Green/Labour coalition’s control of the council.

Mr Busby beat the self-titled ‘independent conservative’ Ian Mitchell, an ex-UKIP candidate who had been suspended by the Tories just two days before polling day, into second. Labour candidate Rebecca Aitken came third with a three per cent share.

Mr Busby said he had chatted to “hundreds of residents” in the build-up to polling day, adding “there was a lot of anger towards the government”.