LABOUR is launching a last-ditch bid to hold on to power at Blackburn with Darwen Council in the hope that six breakaway councillors may return to the fold.

In a new twist that could see the party end two weeks of political turmoil by retaining control, insiders believe as many as four of the defectors could back Labour at a full council meeting on Thursday.

The revelations follow meetings between the six independents and Blackburn MP Jack Straw.

Asian peer Lord Adam Patel has also called on Mahfooz Hussain (Bastwell), Yusuf Jan-Virmani (Audley), Iftakhar Hussain (Bastwell), Parwaiz Akhtar (Bastwell), Salim Mulla (Queen's Park) and Faryad Hussain (Queen's Park) to talk through their differences with Labour and agree a deal.

The defectors left Labour shortly after this year's local elections, leaving the party without enough seats to retain control.

Last week Conservative (17 seats) and Liberal Democrat (12 seats) with a total of 29 seats looked set to take power away from Labour (27 seats) for the first time in 21 years.

Power will shift if the six vote with the Tories and Lib Dems or if they abstain. But if just three of the defectors side with Labour, the party would be back in the driving seat.

While Mr Straw was refusing to discuss the weekend meetings with the six defectors, Coun Mahfooz Hussain said talks had been held.

Coun Hussain said a meeting of the newly-formed independent group tonight would see them make up their minds.

Meanwhile. it has also been revealed that Labour Party chiefs are preparing to kick the six defectors out of the party if they don't return to the fold.

Although they have resigned from the town hall group, they are still members. But if any of the six vote against Labour, that will be taken as a "de facto" resignation and they will be booted out.

Tories and Lib Dems are confident their coalition proposal will go ahead, but the independents are so far yet to go public on what they plan to do.

That silence has prompted Lord Patel, given a peerage in 2000 for his work to promote racial harmony in Lancashire, to speak out.

He said: "I think it has been blown out of all proportion. These are internal, Labour Party, family matters which can still be resolved.

"I would like to see everyone in the group sit down and see what can be done to tackle the problems which have come up.

"They can be solved, but only if people talk to each other.

"So far, we have had six councillors walk away from the group but we need to establish why and see what each side can do to tackle the problems we have at the moment.

"The Labour group in Blackburn with Darwen has achieved a lot in power and I think it is very important for that to continue."