THE Labour Party have lost control of Bolton Council -- bringing to an end 23 years of unbroken rule.

For the first time since the Second World War no party in the town has overall control of Bolton Council.

Check out all the results courtesy of the council's own website.

You can also find Bury and Leigh results here.

It was the first all postal local election in Bolton and voters delivered a political slap in the face to the ruling Labour Party.

Nationally, Labour lost 750 seats across the country, losing control of 33 councils. The Tories increased the number of council seats they hold to 500. In Bolton, four Labour councillors -- including last year's mayor Kevan Helsby -- were swept from power, with two seats going to the Tories and two to the Liberal Democrats.

The postal ballot system proved successful with a 42 per cent turnout compared to 32 per cent last year.

Despite the setback, mirrored in councils throughout the country, Labour remains the largest single party in the Bolton Council chamber.

And though all three leaders dismissed any idea of political pacts, the fact remains that the Tories and Liberal Democrats would have to vote together to defeat Labour.

All three parties are expected to meet with council Chief Executive Bernard Knight, who also acted as Returning Officer, to discuss how they will proceed.

The ruling Labour group will now have to tread warily when dealing with contentious issues such as car parking charges, leisure issues and education spending.

Last night council leader Bob Howarth said the Labour group, as the largest single party, intended to form an executive and carry on as before.

The council is now made up of 27 Labour, 19 Conservatives and 14 Lib Dem councillors.

The Tories were celebrating the arrival of three new councillors after snatching two seats from Labour and a third from the Liberal Democrats.

Labour lost the key seats of Burnden and Little Lever to the Conservatives and Central and Blackrod wards were taken by the Liberal Democrats.

Veteran Labour councillor Kevan Helsby lost his Blackrod seat to Liberal Democrat Martyn Cox while Little Lever councillor Robert Evans lost to Conservative Mary Woodward.

In a nail-biting finish and after three recounts, Burnden was snatched from Labour by the Conservatives by just 32 votes.

For the Liberal Democrats it was a mixed night. Although they gained two Labour seats they also lost Hulton Park to the Tories.

Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party fielded five candidates and the Socialist Alliance Against the War four. None of the candidates gained a seat.