A by-election has been called for the vacant Soham south seat on East Cambridgeshire District Council.

The election is expected to be called this week following the death of independent councillor John Palmer, who died last month, aged 85.

Soham man Geoffrey Woollard, 76, has already announced his intention to stand as an independent for the seat, with an election scheduled to take place in June.

He said: “I’m especially well-placed to serve the Soham South Ward as I live in the middle of it - at St Andrew’s Park - and I lived for 18 years within a mile of it - near Upware.

“I am very fond of Soham, where my wife and I have made our home, and I know many good people in Soham.

“I am standing as an independent - though I was an active Conservative until the 1990s - because I believe that councillors whose loyalties are only to political parties ought to alter their loyalties. I will never be told what to do by party political bosses.”

Following his death, friends of Councillor Palmer paid tribute to the “best councillor the town has ever had”.

Cllr Palmer was elected as an independent to the Soham south ward in 2011 having served as a town and district councillor on several previous occasions.

Cllr Palmer, a former greengrocer, was responsible for founding the Soham and District branch of the Pony Club and also played a leading role in saving Soham chapel when it was threatened with demolition.

Potential candidates can collect their official nomination papers from the electoral services offices at East Cambridgeshire District Council or download them from www.eastcambs.gov.uk or www.electoralcommission.org.uk to put themselves forward.

The deadline for completed nomination papers is noon on Thursday, May 22.