LIBERAL Democrats tightened their grip on the reins of power in Burnley - with the help of a polls victory for one of the borough’s youngest ever candidates.

Dental nurse Jennifer Knowles, 24, was inspired to stand for the Queensgate ward by the late Lib Dem borough and county councillor Bill Bennett and secured his vacant seat with a 389-vote majority.

The former Walshaw High pupil said: “We met at local residents meetings and he encouraged me to stand. He is still in all of our hearts and I just want to do my bit for the community.”

Elsewhere it was a disastrous day for the British National Party, with Derek Dawson ousted in Gannow by the Lib Dems Neil Mottershead and John Cave losing in Hapton with Park to new Padiham mayor and Labour town councillor Jean Cunningham.

The Lib Dems did lose out in Brunshaw, with Allen Harris going down to Labour’s Tony Harrison by just 13 votes.

But Tom Porter edged out the Conservatives’ Barrie Bamford by 17 votes in Whittlefield with Ightenhill to leave his party on 23 in a 45-seat council chamber.

Council leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle, who has announced he is stepping down after becoming the borough’s MP, said: “We are delighted with the result, we have lost but gained two overall.

“We have never been successful before in Ightenhill so we are very pleased with that.”

Fellow cabinet members, Couns Jeff Sumner and Roger Frost, eased to victory in Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Briercliffe respectively and veteran Tory Coun David Heginbotham triumphed easily in Cliviger with Worsthorne.

Coun Wajid Khan, who represents Daneshouse for Labour but was not standing, said: “The party’s vote has held up in Burnley, even if it hasn’t nationally.”

The only real surprise came when Labour scooped the Lancashire County Council seat for Burnley Central East division, in a poll also prompted by Coun Bill Bennett’s death.

Dr Misfar Hassan, a father-of-three and child pyschiatrist, polled 3,157 to Lib Dem borough councillor Martin Smith’s 2,279.

He paid tribute to former Burnley MP Peter Pike, who he said had provided invaluable assistance in what was his first election campaign.