LABOUR secured gains in Burnley at today's election count - but in the end it was the borough's Liberal Democrats who have ended up heaving the hugest sigh of relief.

Important victories in Brunshaw, Hapton with Park and Lanehead, at the expense of most of their rivals, saw Labour increase its standing to 18 councillors.

Ann Royle claimed the scalp of Lib Dem deputy leader Coun Martin Smith by more than a 100 votes, the British National Party was turfed out of Hapton, with Joanne Greenwood defeating former councillor Derek Dawson, and former Labour deputy leader Mark Townsend secured the Brunshaw seat vacated by John Jones, an Independent.

But privately the Lib Dems had expected a far bleaker picture, mirroring the national picture which seemingly saw voters punish Nick Clegg's troops for coalition cuts.

Coun Charlie Briggs, council leader, who held his Gannow seat with reduced majority, said: "I think it is a credit to the people of Burnley.

"People are definitely hurting but we are a listening council and we get the job done."

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle added: "We have actually ended up with one more seat than we started with and are still the largest party.

"The people of Burnley think we have a good council."

Former Burnley Labour MP Peter Pike, now party branch chairman, said: "We did not expect to take control of the council this year but we have a good base for the future now."

He believes the closely-fought Queensgate seat, which saw the Lib Dems' Janet Brown emerge victorious, could have gone to Labour if a Conservative candidate had been fielded.

Defeated Labour man Arif Khan had defected from the Lib Dems earlier this year, in disgust at the Lib Dems plight locally and nationally. He lost out by just 23 votes.

Coun Julie Cooper, Labour group leader, added: "We have held some of our seats comfortably and the Labour vote is well up."

Newly-elected Labour councillor Joanne Kennedy was guaranteed to hit the jackpot whatever happened - she was in Las Vegas on a 10th wedding anniversary trip when colleague Coun Jean Cunningham texted her to say she had secured Hapton with Park.

Elsewhere Christopher Vanns, who was exposed by the Lancashire Telegraph for posting racist jibes on his Facebook account, came last in Trinity ward, polling only 129 votes.

His son Christopher William Vanns, known as Tiff, who posted similar material online, was also beaten in neighbouring Rosehill with Burnley Wood.

Results

BANK HALL
John Fifield Labour 1157
Arthur Gordon Lishman Liberal Democrat 336.

BRIERCLIFFE
Brian Cooper Labour 514
Anne Rosemarie Kelly Liberal Democrat 1004
Susan Margaret Nutter Conservative 308.

BRUNSHAW
Alex Harrison Conservative 296
Kathryn Haworth Liberal Democrat 376
Mark Townsend Labour 1090.

CLIVIGER WITH WORSTHORNE
Tony Martin Labour 556
Paula Christine Riley Liberal Democrat 570
Cosima Towneley Conservative 933.

COALCLOUGH WITH DEERPLAY
Margaret Brindle Liberal Democrat 750
Anthony Jackson Conservative 209
Alex Mclachlan Labour 486
Angela Denise Vanns British National Party 142.

DANESHOUSE WITH STONEYHOLME
Wajid Khan Labour 1694
Abdul Rokib Liberal Democrat 544.

GANNOW
Charlie Briggs Liberal Democrat 650
Stephen James Large Labour 555
Barry Robinson Conservative 176
David Shapcott British National Party 186.

GAWTHORPE
David Matthew Carter Liberal Democrat 341
John Harbour Labour 962
Paul Robinson British National Party 305.

HAPTON WITH PARK
Derek Dawson British National Party 369
Joanne Greenwood Labour 871
Claire Gemma McCann Liberal Democrat 207
Victoria Louise Taylor Conservative 323.

LANEHEAD
Paul Coates Conservative 228
Michael Gerard McHugh UK Independence Party 145
Ann Royle Labour 797
Martin William Smith Liberal Democrat 676.

QUEENSGATE
Janet Brown Liberal Democrat 918
Mohammed Arif Khan Labour 895.

ROSEGROVE WITH LOWERHOUSE
Mathew Isherwood Conservative 164
Paul McDevitt British National Party 238
Kate Mottershead Liberal Democrat 491
Stephen Paul Reynolds Labour 643.

ROSEHILL WITH BURNLEY WOOD
Paul Fraser Campbell Labour 691
Tracy Kennedy Liberal Democrat 817
Christopher William Vanns British National Party 180.

TRINITY
Martyn Hurt Liberal Democrat 246
Elizabeth Monk Labour 669
Jack Picton Conservative 140
Chris Vanns British National Party 129.

WHITTLEFIELD WITH IGHTENHILL
Ida Carmichael Conservative 847
Nicholas Anthony Madden Labour 586
Debbie Porter Liberal Democrat 564.