Cllr Dennis Bull, whose death triggered next month's by-election

A Havering Council by-election will take place in March to fill Cllr Dennis Bull’s former seat.

Tory Cllr Bull held one of the three Gooshays seats from 2006 until his death following a stroke last month. The election will take place on Thursday, March 21.

The ward – which currently has one Conservative and one Labour councillor – has a turbulent recent past. This will be its fourth election, and second by-election, since 2006.

Labour lost all three of its Gooshays seats that year to two Tories – Cllr Bull and Cllr Keith Wells – along with a candidate from the far-right British National Party.

The election marked the first time the BNP had held a seat on Havering Council.

But the BNP councillor, Alan Bailey, resigned after two years, blaming work pressures.

The BNP successfully contested the seat at the 2008 by-election, with Mark Logan – now a councillor for the Independent Residents’ Group in Rainham and Wennington – winning the poll.

But Cllr Logan himself defected to the IRG after another two years, accusing the BNP of being “a bunch of racists” – and his seat went to Labour candidate Pat Murray in 2010.

Cllr Murray’s win took the number of Labour councillors in Harold Hill to four – making the estate the only Labour island in Conservative-controlled Havering.

Anyone who lives in Gooshays and whose name is on the electoral register can vote. People who aren’t registered must apply by e-mailing elections@havering.gov.uk or calling 01708 432 444 on or before Wednesday, March 6.

This is also the latest date you can apply for a postal vote.

The council will send out polling cards shortly with information about polling stations.

For more information contact the council’s electoral service on the above details.