Abbey & Borrowell
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
| Leslie Graham Windybank | Liberal Party | 834 |
| John Anthony Cooke | Conservative Party | 758 |
| Melanie Ruth Lomas | Labour Party | 150 |
LIBERAL HOLD
Turnout 49%
LIBERALS RETAIN SEAT
This by-election was called due to the resignation of Liberal, Helen Dore, who had been on the district council since its inception in 1973.
Graham Windybank, leader of the town council managed to retain the seat for the Liberals by a majority of 76 over rival, John Cooke. It was never going to be an easy task for the Conservatives who needed more than a 7% swing from 1979 poll, to be win the seat.
Labour candidate, Melanie Lomas, a former Kenilworth Grammar School pupil, faced an up-hill struggle to get anywhere near the winning line. District elections for Labour have always been poor in Kenilworth, especially in Abbey & Borrowell, where they have never had a candidate elected.