Voters have gone to the polls for a by-election to decide who controls the most powerful council committee in Brighton and Hove.

The results for the Hangleton and Knoll ward were expected to be announced at 11pm yesterday.

It was expected to be a close two-horse race between Labour candidate Edwin Sears and Tory Dawn Barnett.

The election was called following the death of Labour councillor Gerry Kielty, who secured the seat by just 80 votes at the last election.

If Labour has lost the seat to the Conservatives, the party's already-tenuous grip on town hall power would slip further.

Under council rules they would also lose a seat on the powerful policy and resources committee.

That would leave six Labour and six Tory seats on the committee, with two Greens and one Liberal Democrat holding the balance of power.

Victory for the Conservatives would also strengthen group leader Garry Peltzer Dunn's claim for chairmanship of other committees.

He said: "It would make life much more difficult for the Labour administration."

Labour leader Ken Bodfish said he was confident of victory.

A Labour defeat would strengthen the Green Party's bargaining power on the council. Green group convener Keith Taylor said he could not guarantee Labour his support.

The Greens and Lib Dems have vowed to vote issue-by-issue on the basis of what's best for the city.

Lib Dem Mark Barnard, independent Janet Berridge-Brown and Elizabeth Wakefield of the Green Party were also standing in the by-election.