THERE has been a mixed response to the shock defection of a UKIP councillor to the Conservative party.

Cllr Diane Parkinson announced on Wednesday that she was leaving the party to join the Tories.

In a double blow, the founder of the Bolton UKIP Party Joan Johnson said she was quitting the party to join the opposition, questioning the need for UKIP post-Brexit.

Constituents in her Hulton ward had mixed views towards the move to quit the party she had stood for in the local elections, and represented since 2014.

Some called for a by-election, others called for party politics to be put aside in the interests of the local community and there was also support saying it was better to be part of a larger local party.

Phil Edge, who grew up in Hulton and still has family in the ward, said: "I think she has made the right decision. UKIP was set up to get Britain out of the European Union, which it has delivered.

"But not it is no good being part of minority party in Bolton Council.

"At a national level it can still move forward with the election of MPs but is not effective at a local level."

Richard Fox, known in Hulton as ‘Foxy’ said: "I have no interest in which councillors defect to whatever parties but what I would like is for them to take local people’s interest into consideration.”

Another person, who did not wish to be named, said: "There should be a by-election, there is a moral obligation now for a by-election to be called because she was elected under UKIP policy not Conservative policy.

"There was Brexit, but there are still other issues such as immigration that still need addressing."

Cllr Parkinson said she would be contacted her constituents to explain her reasons for leaving UKIP in more detail.

But on the day of her resignation she said she would able to deliver a better service to her constituents being with a more established party.