Conservative candidate Sam Hearn let out a hearty laugh at 21 minutes past 11 at the Chiswick Riverside by-election vote count last night, breaking the silence and signalling that the ballots papers were clearly stacking up in his favour.

With just over 60 per cent of the vote, Mr Hearn won the seat by a landslide.

In tune with bitter temperatures outside yesterday, voter turnout was a low 24.6 per cent (compared with 41.4 per cent for the same ward in the May 2006 council elections).

Coming in second with 21 per cent of the 1,976 total votes cast was 22-year-old Labour candidate Ed Mayne.

Liberal Democrat Phyllis Ballentyne was next with 12.5 per cent while Martin Bleach of the Green party garnered five per cent of the vote.

The Voting Breakdown

Sam Hearn (Conservative): 1207

Ed Mayne (Labour): 414

Phyllis Ballentyne (Liberal Democrats): 250

Martin Bleach (Green): 103

Overall votes cast: 1,976

Rejected (spoilt ballots): 2

For comparison, in the last Chiswick Riverside election in May 2006 the Tories won just over 60 per cent of the vote; Labour had 22 per cent while the Lib Dems won nine per cent and the Green party won eight per cent of the votes.

The by-election was called following the sudden death of Conservative Councillor Robert Kinghorn in October.

In his acceptance speech Mr Hearn thanked his wife Sue and his election team, and remembered his late colleague commenting that by-election had come about for a very sad reason.

He said: "The last 18 months Hounslow has seen what I call a quiet revolution," and attributed the major swing of votes in the Conservatives' favour to monetary policy.

"We look at your money as being something that we spend as carefully and as wisely as possible and we take as little of it from you," he said.

When asked how he felt about the results Labour candidate Mr Mayne said: "I feel fantastic. It's been hard work going out and meeting people from different backgrounds and talking about different issues, but we have such good policies - well thought-out policies - and I think it just struck a chord with people."

Mrs Ballentyne thanked everyone who voted for her and the Liberal Democrat party. "We will continue to provide strong and effective opposition on the issues that matter to the people of Chiswick."

The Green party's Mr Bleach said they got a smaller percentage of votes than they did in the last election but that they had achieved something in winning just over five per cent, which is what is required for the party to have a shot at running in the London Assembly election next May.

"And it's keeping the party's name in front of the photos for the long term good," he added.

A Chiswick Riverside resident for more than 20 years Mr Hearn is an active school governor whose special interests include transport, education and services for the elderly.