THE SNP has claimed that a resounding by-election victory in Gordon Brown's back yard shows that the party's commanding lead over Labour in the polls is being reflected at the ballot box.

Marie Penman won a comfortable victory in the fight for the Fife Council seat of Kirkcaldy East, with the SNP winning 47 per cent of the vote - a 13 per cent swing from Labour.

Nationalists claimed that the result in the ward, in Mr Brown's constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, would "chill Labour to the core". Mr Brown, who has announced he is standing down in May, won his Westminster seat with 65 per cent of the vote in 2010, when the SNP won 14 per cent.

The by-election result was technically counted as an SNP hold as the party had won one of the ward's three seats in the 2012 main Fife election, and its councillor, Arthur Morrison, had been the one that stood down.

However, in the 2012 election Mr Morrison had come in third place behind two Labour candidates. The fact that the SNP overtook Labour despite the fact that he quit in humiliating circumstances - after it was revealed he lived mainly in Austria - is likely to offer an added boost to the pro-independence party.

Douglas Chapman, the SNP's convener responsible for organisation, said: "This SNP victory in Gordon Brown's backyard will chill Labour to the core across Scotland and shows how little trust people have left in the Labour Party."

Mr Chapman, who is also an SNP councillor for Rosyth and North Queensferry, added: "Marie will be a strong advocate for the people of Kirkcaldy East, and is another strong woman who has won for the SNP. She will be a fantastic addition to the SNP council team in Fife."

Ms Penman who secured 1,460 of the first preference votes ahead of 1,088 for Labour, said it would be a "huge privilege" to represent the ward.

She added: "I am delighted at the overwhelming support of the communities here, and I pledge to repay their trust by working hard for this area over the coming months and years."

A spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party said: "Congratulations to Cllr Penman on her victory. She now joins the other two Labour councillors in this ward. She is bound to work harder than her predecessor who spent all his time abroad.

"When the General Election comes round in May the people of Scotland will have to decide if they want a Tory or Labour Government.

"We know that the biggest party will get to form the government. Any seats taken by the SNP from Labour will simply help to return David Cameron to Downing Street. The only way to beat the Tories is to vote for Labour candidates, and in particular Labour's new candidate for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath."