Conservative Sean Gabriel (right) with Liberal Democrat Jennie Hodges at Friday s Canford Heath by-election count A FORMER mayor of Poole has been elected to the vacant Canford Heath seat on BCP Council. Conservative Sean Gabriel won by 41 votes over Liberal Democrat Jennie Hodges who had been hoping to win the seat which had been held by fellow party member Pete Parrish until his death last year. Cllr Gabriel, who finished fourth in the election for the three-seat ward in 2019, overturned the 642-vote gap to take the seat. Speaking at Friday s count, he said his election was a massive honour and that he was looking forward to being a councillor again.