LABOUR won a landslide victory to retake control of Rossendale after just two years of Conservative rule.

The roles were reversed from the 2000 elections when the Tories took power for the first time in 14 years and now the seats are divided 24:12 in Labour's favour.

Although there were 24 clear Labour seats by midnight after a recount in Eden ward, the result for the Bacup ward of Irwell went to an unprecedented four recounts and was finally declared at 2.30am with the Conservatives retaining all three seats.

In the end there were just two votes between the first and second candidates and just three between the third and fourth.

Defeated former Mayor Peter Heyworth said: "I think it is sad that we can't return a Labour councillor in Bacup. I think it is down to voter apathy."

The victory was heralded by Labour leader Coun Graham Pearson as justification for his party's actions during the two years of Tory control.

Dedicating the success to the memory of former Labour Council leader Alan Fishwick who lost his battle with cancer last year, Coun Pearson said: "Hopefully in the next 12 months we can look to getting the public more involved with the council.

"I think we have been successful because we said we were going to work with the people, with Rossendale Partnership and with the council's staff.

"What affects Rawtenstall and Bacup and Haslingden should have input from people in those areas and we may look to set up area boards.

"I want to give people of Rossendale a voice on what happens in their borough, not a voice for the council.

"This is a partnership and we all have to work together to make Rossendale successful."

He said he was concerned about the contents of an Audit Commission report on the council out on May 29, but the new administration would work through the recommendations with staff and officers.

Deputy Conservative leader Coun Neil Smith said: "I really have no idea why this has happened.

"There has been an amount of confusion at the polls with it being an all out election people just didn't know who to vote for.

"I think maybe we started too many projects at the same time: we are on the edge of getting rid of Ilex Mill; we are looking to redevelop the town centre and bring in high street big names.

"Have no doubt we will be fighting back."

Labour captured all three former Tory seats in Haslingden's Worsley ward, but the Conservative strongholds of Greenfield, Greensclough and Irwell remained staunchly Conservative.

Mayor elect Coun Jimmy Eaton polled the largest number of votes and Socialist Alliance candidate Noel O'Brien the least.

Mr O'Brien called on the low turnout of between 29 and 41 per cent to be addressed by all parties.

Rossendale's Millennium Mayor Alan Neal recaptured his Whitworth seat, but at the expense of current borough Mayor Jimmy Grogan.

He said: "I feel sorry for Jimmy. I have a lot of time for him."

CRIBDEN

L Forshaw (Lab)*...598

H McCaw (Lab)...501

C Balchin (Con)*...454

R Moorfield (Con)...331

Turnout 37%

EDEN

J Cheetham (Con)*...584

D Rishton (Lab)...506

B Pawson (Con)*...493

T Belli (Lab)...414

Turnout 38%

FACIT AND SHAWFORTH

E Kershaw (Lab)*...550

T Aldred (Lab)...527

A Bolton (Con)*...378

P Starkey (Con)...290

Turnout 34%

GOODSHAW

A Barnes (Lab)...656

R Clarke (Lab)...444

M Kirk (Con)...353

D Hayden-Pawson (Con)...330

Turnout 36%

GREENFIELD

G Lee (Con)*...835

A Schofield (Con)*...813

A Tickner (Con)...804

D Atkinson (Lab)...631

J Johnson (Lab)...591

M Cruise (Lab)...588

N O'Brien (Soc All)...139

Turnout 38%

GREENSCLOUGH

J Eaton (Con)*...1124

J Driver (Con)*...898

W Challinor (Con)*...825

B O'Connor (Lab)...542

D Baron (Lab)...441

S Baron (Lab)...434

Turnout 41%

HAREHOLME

M Disley (Lab)*...1041

G Pearson (Lab)*...935

T Unsworth (Lab)...919

J O'Driscoll (Con)*...661

S Popland (Con)...601

K Slaughter (Con)...586

Turnout 40%

HEALEY AND WHITWORTH

A Neal (Lab)...515

R Pickup (Lab)*...450

J Grogan (Con)*...306

A Neville (Con)...224

Turnout 29%

HELMSHORE

G Nicholass (Con)...763

N Smith (Con)*...748

J McManus (Lab)...716

S Brannigan (Lab)...714

J Williams (Con)...666

A Nixon (Lab)...627

R Beavan (Ind)*...405

Turnout 38%

IRWELL

R Huntbach (Con)...632

L Hammond (Con)*...630

P Steen (Con)*...563

P Heyworth (Lab)...560

K Wright (Lab)...501

W Pearson (Lab)...479

Turnout 34%

LONGHOLME

J Forshaw (Lab)*...896

N Pilling (Lab)*...789

Denise Hancock (Lab)...775

J Wild (Con)...524

TT Doherty (Con)...510

J Fuke (Con)...389

Turnout 35%

STACKSTEADS

M McShea (Lab)*...796

D Connearn (Lab)...684

D Nuttall (Con)...369

H Steen (Con)...298

Turnout 40%

WHITEWELL

David Hancock (Lab)*...851

D Easton (Lab)...801

W Riley (Lab)...830

C Wadsworth (Con)*...715

R Godwin (Con)...691

C Lever(Con)...690

Turnout 38%

WORSLEY

G Atkinson (Lab)...836

M Procter (Lab)...757

A Lythgoe (Lab)...720

J Thorne (Con)...555

P Nuttall (Con)*...534

L Riley (Con)*...513

S Birtwell (no party)*...209

Turnout 35%

*denotes councillor seeking re-election

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