Ambulance campaigner spurred on by daughter's half-hour wait wins town council seat
A man who began campaigning for better ambulance response times after his baby daughter suffered a seizure scare has won a seat on his town council.
Darren Childs, 35, has been elected to Ludlow Town Council by just four votes.
After a recount Mr Childs won his seat in the Gallows Bank Ward by 173 votes, to Ian Scott Bell's 169, on a turnout of just 16.51 per cent.
Following the election Mr Childs said: "I am thankful the people of Ludlow have voted for me to try and improve the ambulance times and local services."
Mr Childs started campaigning after his baby girl, who was suffering a seizure after having a fever that would not come down, was left waiting more than half an hour for paramedics.
Since then a campaign called Ludlow Needs Ambulances has spread across the county with activists in many corners of Shropshire.
He said his first action a councillor is to invite Ludlow MP Philip Dunne to a meeting on April 25.
Mr Dunne has said he will present a petition but Mr Childs is lobbying his MP to do more.
Ludlow Councillor Andy Boddington said: "The vote went to a recount and he won by four votes. That must be the closest result in Ludlow since Viv Parry lost to Martin-Taylor Smith for the Ludlow South unitary ward by just two votes a decade ago.
"The turnout was 16.5 per cent, which is fairly typical for a town or parish council by-election. There are local elections across the country in May but not in Shropshire where elections took place last year."
