THE anti-vandal, zero tolerance Community Action Party shocked Labour-dominated Wigan Council by grabbing two seats including the prize scalp of Deputy Leader Tom Sherratt -- a Community Safety Cabinet member writes Brian Gomm

Results for Bolton, Bury, Wigan and Salford Councils are now available HERE

In Wigan, Labour lost two more seats -- one apiece to the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats -- at Hindsford and Swinley. At Hindsford the Lib Dem's Neil Hogg was 700 votes clear.

But the shock came in Lightshaw where Tom Sherratt, 22 years a councillor and involved in politics since the age of 15 lost his seat to CAP's Peter Franzen.

Afterwards Council Leader Lord Peter Smith, who easily retained his Leigh Central seat by almost 1,000 votes, said: "I've lost a good friend and colleague and Lightshaw has lost a good councillor."

A disappointed Tom Sherratt declined to comment on the result but said although he would not stand again for the council he would retain his interest in politics.

Delighted Mr Franzen said the community had a strong sense of the need for change : "I was expecting a good vote but the amount of support was amazing."

CAP aims to regenerate run-down areas and stamp out vandalism and picked-up another seat from Labour in Bryn and pushed Labour close at Ashton-Golborne.

RESULTS.

ABRAM (Electorate 8,886) Alicia Eccles (Con)292, Dennis Shambley (BNP)571, Eunice Smethurst (Lab)*1,631 Result: No change. Total percentage poll: 25%

ASHTON-GOLBORNE (11,046) Stanley Barnes (Community Action)1,250, Andrew Bullen (Lab)*1,313, Jonathan Cartwright (Con)300, Marian Markham (Socialist Alliance)100. Result: No change. 26.86%

ATHERTON (8622) Ann Davies (Con) 155, Susan Loudon (Lab)* 1,353, Patricia Myler (Lib Dem) 827, David Shallcross (Independent) 132: Result: No change.28.62.%

BEDFORD-ASTLEY (8216) Unopposed: Frederick Walker (Lab)

HINDLEY(10,552) Stuart Shaw (Lab)*1,656, Andre Walker (Con)567. Result: No change.

21.31%

HINDLEY GREEN (10,933) Rosina Oxley (Con)580, Stanley Simmons (Lab)* 1,535 .Result: No change.

19.62%

HINDSFORD (10,910) Graham Andrew William (Con) 125, Stephen Hall (Independent)234, Neil Hogg (Lib Dem)1,724, Philip Loudon (Lab), 1024. Result: Lib Dem gain.28.52%

HOPE CARR (10,248) Kevin Anderson (Lab)*1,498, Keith Fry (Socialist Alliance)104, Andrew Oxley (Con)713, Peter Solinas (Community Action)549. Result: No change. 28.05%

LEIGH CENTRAL (8,445) Daniel Burrows (Community Action)212, Timothy Matthews (Con)301, Peter Smith (Lab)* 1,298 Result: No change.21.5%

LEIGH EAST (10,735) Derek Davies (Con)454, Anne Turnock (Lab)*1,571.Result: No change.19.2%

LIGHTSHAW (12,203) Peter Franzen Peter (Community Action) 1,899, James Grundy (Con)581,Tom Sherratt (Lab)*1,776. Result: CAP gain. 34.94%

TYLDESLEY EAST (11,790) Richard Derricutt (Lib. Dem) 866, Brian Wilson (Lab)1,574. Result: No change. 20.86%.

Overall turnout was 4.5% up on 2000.

Council: 65 Labour, 3 Lib Dem, 2 Cons, 2 CAP.