LABOUR tightened its grip on Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council today after claiming the seats of several big-name councillors.

The party secured a comfortable majority for the first time since 2007 after seizing five seats, giving it 37 of the borough’s 64 councillors.

It was a bad day for its rivals, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats losing two councillors each, and For Darwen Party leader Tony Melia losing the Sunnyhurst seat he won in 2007.

The Conservatives have 17 councillors, and the Liberal Democrats six, with For Darwen on two.

There are two independents, although one, Abdul Rehman, has applied to join the Labour group.

There were jubilant scenes in Labour ranks at the packed count at King George’s Hall as a string of gains were announced, with Labour holding on to all of its seats.

Council leader Kate Holler hailed a ‘fantastic’ day for her party. Tory group leader MIchael Lee said the results were ‘not as bad as they might have been’, while Lib Dem chief David Foster admitted it had been a ‘tough day’.

The first sitting councillor to fall was well-known Lib Dem Simon Huggill, who came third in Marsh House behind Labour’s Frank Connor and Tory Neil Slater.

Soon afterwards, Coun Melia, whose For Darwen Party played a key role in ousting Labour from power in 2007, had been thrashed.

He finished third, with Labour’s Brian Taylor winning by more than 700 votes.

Coun Melia, a recent deputy council leader, blamed a concerted Labour effort for his demise.

He said: “There was a massive focus on my seat. Labour wanted me out.”

Marsh House councillor Phil Jones is likely to take over the party’s leadership.

There was a big swing to Labour in Roe Lee, where Conservative Maureen McGarvey, who has sat on the council for 19 years, lost by 66 votes to Labour’s Phil Riley.

The Tories also lost Alan Barry, in Meadowhead, to 25-year-old Labour man Carl Nuttall, while Liberal Democrat Muntazir Patel was ousted from Shear Brow by Labour’s Hanif Khonat.

Trevor Maxfield, the councillor whose defection from For Darwen triggered Labour’s return to power in September, held on to his Earcroft seat.

Turnout varied widely between wards, from 31per cent in Higher Croft to more than 65per cent in Bastwell and Audley.

Results

AUDLEY
Ali Saadat Conservative 318
Yusuf Jan-Virmani Labour 2202.

BASTWELL
Saj Ali Liberal Democrat 1404
Iftikhar Hussain Labour 1840
Naseer Sajid Conservative 98.

BEARDWOOD WITH LAMMACK
Michael John Lee Conservative 1256
Salim Lorgat Liberal Democrat 134
Ashley Richard Whalley Labour 691.

CORPORATION PARK
Julie M Daley Conservative 531
Arshid Mahmood Labour 1076.

EARCROFT
Andrew Baker Conservative 223
Mark Davies Liberal Democrat 169
Trevor Maxfield Labour 455
Stephen Potter For Darwen 209.

EWOOD
Maureen Bateson Labour 1002
Lee Andrew Black Conservative 467.

FERNHURST
Katie Louise Haworth Labour 581
Jacquie Slater Conservative 936.

HIGHER CROFT
Darren W Jeal British National Party 179
Michael Christopher Johnson Labour 980
Paul D Marrow Conservative 417.

LITTLE HARWOOD
Atash Shaikh Liberal Democrat 118
Mohamed Sidat Conservative 463
Naushad Surve Labour 1464.

LIVESEY WITH PLEASINGTON
Jamie Groves Labour 797
Derek James Hardman Conservative 1743.

MARSH HOUSE
Heather Ashurst For Darwen 214
Frank Connor Labour 676
Simon Huggill Liberal Democrat 434
Neil Andrew Slater Conservative 472.

MEADOWHEAD
Alan Howard Barry Conservative 786
Carl Peter Nuttall Labour 963.

MILL HILL
Alan Dean Liberal Democrat 220
Des Lovett Conservative 264
Damian Talbot Labour 967.

NORTH TURTON WITH TOCKHOLES
Bernadette Gaynor Oxley Labour 646
Jean Valerie Rigby Conservative 1115.

QUEEN'S PARK
Faraz Ali Liberal Democrat 196
Imtiaz Ali Conservative 294
Mustafa Ali Desai Labour 1111.

ROE LEE
Maureen McGarvey Conservative 917
Phil Riley Labour 983
Nancy Shaw-Farmer British National Party 175.

SHADSWORTH WITH WHITEBIRK
Robin James Evans British National Party 244
Edward Merriman Conservative 216
Jim Shorrock Labour 1222.

SHEAR BROW
Maryam Batan Conservative 179
Hanif Khonat Labour 1746
Muntazir Patel Liberal Democrat 695.

SUDELL
Roy Peter Davies Liberal Democrat 703
Tom Huw Evans Labour 582
Wilf Helliwell For Darwen 244.

SUNNYHURST
John East Liberal Democrat 289
Gary Alan Mayer Conservative 300
Tony Melia For Darwen 296
Brian Taylor Labour 1053.

WENSLEY FOLD
Lorraine Chesterton Conservative 277
Waseem Hassan Liberal Democrat 50
Kate Hollern Labour 1465.