Marown’s new commissioner says she is looking forward to learning from her colleagues and seeing where she can make a difference after winning Thursday’s by-election.

Amanda Collister was elected after receiving 290 votes compared with 38 for rival candidate Oksana Hargreaves.

It was the first contested election in the parish since 2008.

Speaking to Local Democracy Reporter Emma Draper after the result was announced, Mrs Collister said she was ‘absolutely over the moon’.

She thanked her family for their support and everyone who had turned out to vote.

She said: ‘My husband’s been very supportive. My mum’s come down. Everybody’s come out to vote. I’ve had some lovely comments and feedback, so it’s just been a really good experience.’

Mrs Collister said she was looking forward to getting started with the local authority after what she described as a ‘rollercoaster of a day’.

Asked what she hoped to bring to her first board meeting, she said her priority was to learn from those already serving on the local authority.

‘That has not crossed my mind at all. I need to go learn, get sat down, learn from the guys that have been doing it for a while, and just see what I can do for the best,’ she said.

She added that the parish’s public toilet provision was among the issues she wanted to look at, alongside playgrounds and understanding the authority’s responsibilities and finances.

It is understood to be the only local authority in the island without a publicly funded toilet.

Mrs Collister said she wanted to establish what money the commissioners have available to spend and how it could best be used for parishioners.

A total of 331 ballot papers were cast, with 10 rejected. One ballot was spoilt and 918 ballot papers went unused.