The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), David Walder had died at the age of 49 on 26 October 1978.
He had held the seat since the 1970 general election, having previously been MP for High Peak in Derbyshire.
[1][2] The Conservative candidate was 49-year-old David Waddington, a barrister who had been MP for Nelson and Colne from 1968 until his defeat at the October 1974 general election.
The Labour Party candidate was Lindsay Sutton, and the Liberals fielded Frank Wilson.
Waddington held the seat until its abolition for the 1983 general election, when he was returned for the new Ribble Valley constituency.