IT would take a political earthquake for Labour to lose control of Hyndburn Council on May 2, but UKIP is hoping to create a small but significant Brexit tremor.

The Conservatives would need to win all 12 wards in the local elections, including taking nine currently held by the ruling party.

UKIP hopes to get back the two seats they held until last year to send a message people want Brexit sooner rather than later.

Labour council leader Miles Parkinson, up for election in Altham, hopes that UKIP's presence might eat away at the Tory vote to his party's advantage.

But his main concern is trying to keep the voter turnout up in the face of widespread disillusion with politicians nationally.

The Conservatives have selected another member of the political clan Britcliffe to try and oust Labour's Mayor-elect.

Dominic, the 29-year-old baker son of county councillor Peter and sister of St Andrew's ward borough representative Sara, is seeking to oust current deputy First Citizen June Harrison before she is due to take office after the election.

If he succeeds in Barnfield ward, it is good news for Conservative group leader Tony Dobson whose 2016 majority was just 47 and is up for re-election next year.

Labour currently has 26 councillors out of 35 and the Tories nine with 12 out of 16 wards up for election.

It would take an unlikely Conservative clean sweep to regain control by just one seat.

Cabinet member for town centres and Rishton Labour councillor Clare Cleary is not standing again due to a change of job.

Cllr Parkinson said: "We are happy to stand on our record.

"Although the Tories would love to unseat our Mayor-elect June Harrison, she is a very good and experienced councillor.

"My main concern is a very low turn-out in view of disillusion about Brexit at Westminster. The presence of UKIP candidates may affect the Conservative vote."

The UKIP bid is being led by former General Election candidate Janet Brown, who got 21.3 per cent of the constituency vote in 2015.

She is seeking to win back St Oswald's ward held by the party's local figurehead Paul Thompson until his October 2017 death with retired soldier Ken Smith aiming to retake Milnshaw.

Mrs Brown said: "We want to give voters a proper choice on the ballot paper. The Brexit problems might help us."

Cllr Dobson said: "I never count my chickens but we have an excellent slate of candidates. People need to remember this is a local election and they are voting for the best possible services at the best value rate."

Mr Britcliffe said: "I have obviously been brought with politics. I just want to help the Woodnook area of Barnfield where I live."

CANDIDATES LIST (Will need link to website if not printed in paper):

Altham: Cheryl Duffy (Con), Miles Parkinson (Lab).

Barnfield: Dominic Britcliffe (Con), June Harrison (Lab).

Baxenden: Kathleen Pratt (Con), Kimberley White (Lab).

Central: Mohammad Ayub (Lab), Saghir Hussain (Con).

Church: Loraine Cox (Lab), Raja Khan (Con).

Clayton-Le-Moors: Melissa Fisher (Lab), Kelly Prince (Con).

Huncoat: Jake Allen (Con), Eamonn Higgins (Lab CORR).

Immanuel: Judith Addison (Con), Marion Harrison (Lab).

Milnshaw: Robyn Bradshaw (Con), Paul Cox (Lab), Ken Smith (UKIP).

Overton: Patrick McGinley (Con), Gareth Molineux (Lab).

Rishton: Sarah McCrossan (Con), Kate Walsh (Lab).

St Oswald`s: Lisa Allen (Con), Janet Brown (UKIP), Chris Knight (Lab),