THE SCOTTISH Conservatives have won the Clackmannanshire East by-election – securing more than half of votes cast.

Denis Coyne, a local campaigner, won 51.2 per cent of the votes in the Clackmannanshire East council poll – increasing the party’s share of the vote by almost 10 per cent.

The SNP came in second place with 32 per cent of the vote and slightly increasing its share of the vote – while Scottish Labour’s vote collapsed, dropping from 20 per cent to just over eight per cent of the vote.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has claimed the result shows “voters are deserting” Labour.

READ MORE: Oliver Mundell quits Scottish Conservatives front bench

The Scottish Greens moved past the Liberal Democrats securing 5.8 per cent, while the Lib Dems won the support of 2.9 per cent of voters.

The turnout for the election was 35.1 per cent.

Mr Ross said: “This was a fantastic win for the Scottish Conservatives and I know Denis Coyne will be a great councillor for the area he has lived in for decades.

“With the Scottish Conservatives securing over half the vote, this is further evidence that we are the only party with the strength to stand up to the SNP.”

“Voters are deserting Scottish Labour in their droves and know they are simply too weak to take on the SNP. “In May’s election, voters will have an opportunity to back an alternative vision under the Scottish Conservatives and move Scotland on from the divisions of the past.”