LIBERAL Democrats have seized sole power in Burnley on a poor day for Labour.

Lib Dem national leader Nick Clegg was among the first to congratulate his party's new administration in Burnley.

Until two years ago, the town had been held by Labour for decades.

Lib Dem council leader Gordon Birtwistle saw his party win five seats - all at the expense of Labour - which means they now have outright control of the borough council.

And one of the new additions to his 23-strong Liberal Democrat team is his son Justin, who ousted deputy Labour leader Mark Townsend in Gannow ward.

Before the election the authority had been run for the last two years by a Tory and Lib Dem powersharing alliance.

Mr Clegg said: "This fantastic result is a testament to all the hard work of Burnley Liberal Democrats over the last few years.

"Local residents clearly felt that we offered a fresh and principled alternative to the two tired establishment parties.

"This gain shows that we are going from strength to strength in Burnley.

"Our councillors can now begin the hard work of improving council services and delivering real change to the community."

Coun Birtwistle said: "We had projected that we would win three so the extra two seats is really a bonus and we now have overall control of the council.

"And the other big pleasure for me is that we stopped the British National Party from gaining any seats, especially in a couple of wards which they fancied winning."

Labour leader Coun Andy Tatchell said the losses were slightly worse than he had expected, but that they must be expected during the third term of a Labour government.

He said: "We have lost some very good councillors, who have been working hard on the ground.

"But this is the only way that people can register their unhappiness with the Government and we were bound to suffer."

Burnley's Labour MP Kitty Ussher admitted that the results were 'disappointing' but was confident that a new generation of party campaigners would help to reverse the trend in future.

She added: "The mistakes over the 10p tax rate have had an impact, although they have now been corrected. It is still being felt though by people."

The MP said she was also happy that the BNP had not made any gains locally.

Tory leader Coun Peter Doyle was pleased with his own comprehensive victory in Whittlefield with Ightenhill - and vowed to hold his former coalition partners to account in future.

"Now that the Lib Dems have got overall control we will be going back into opposition but we will still continue to pursue our policies of improved efficency for this council," said Coun Doyle.

The retirement of veteran Labour councillors Denis Otter and Lilian Clark in the Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Rosegrove with Lowerhouse also hit the party.

Karen Heseltine, who was heavily involved in the campaign to save the Parliament Street post office, and Lynne Briggs were the respective victors there for the Lib Dems.

The Rosegrove poll last year was settled by drawing lots after a tied ballot between the BNP's John Rowe and Labour's Paul Reynolds.

But the Lib Dem's Briggs notched up 637, with Mr Rowe second on 491 and Labour's Marion Smith beaten into third on 293.

In a close-run poll in Daneshouse with Stoneyholme - which with a 60.4 per cent turnout was the most hotly contested of all the seats - Labour's Coun Shah Hussain lost out to Lib Dem Mohammed Malik.

Far-right parties failed to make a dent in Cliviger with Worsthorne, as England First Party leader Steven Smith and the British National Party's Ben Smalley were beaten into third and fifth place by Tory Michael Heys and Lib Dem Paula Riley.

Three out of the four party leaders emerged unscathed from the polls, with Labour's Andy Tatchell victorious in Gawthorpe, the BNP's Sharon Wilkinson holding Hapton with Park and Tory Peter Doyle comfortably winning in Whittlefield with Ightenhill.

And Margaret Lishman, deputy council leader, also held Briercliffe.

  • Click on the link below for the full Burnley Borough Council results for each ward.