LABOUR candidates were celebrating after securing 10 of the 11 Wigan Council seats up for grabs in the Leigh area.

At this morning's votes count at Leigh Sports Village they celebrated with a 2.30am party at the nearby Park Hotel after the results of Thursday's local elections were announced at Leigh Sports Village.

They recorded almost a clean sweep gaining one seat in Tyldesley ward from the Liberal Democrats where local woman Joanne Marshall swept to victory with 1,821 votes, a majority of 1,270 over Conservative candidate Margaret Winstanley.

But the Conservatives were also celebrating after gaining a seat from Labour in Lowton East where Edward Houlton's 1,603 votes were 466 more than Labour's Eleanor Blackburn.

He will now join Conservative leader Clr James Grundy who until this morning was the Tories' only representative on Wigan Council.

Council Leader Lord Peter Smith (Labour) retained his seat in Leigh West with 2,005 votes, 1,347 more than Conservative rival Andrew Oxley.

Labour's Barry Taylor retained his seat in Astley Mosley Common with a 945 majority over Nasri Barghothi who polled 867 votes.

Pamela Stewart (Labour) retained her Atherleigh seat with 1,152 votes, 402 more than Stuart Gerrad (Wigan Independent Network).

Left Unity's Stephen Hall, one of seven of the party's candidates throughout the borough was disappointed with attracting just 85 votes.

"That's the lowest I've ever had. The turnout of 17.3% of the electorate was appalling, but the others are so far to the right they're taking votes off each other," he said.

A tearful Karen Aldred retained her Atherton seat. But they were tears of joy after her 1,494 votes proved too many for WIN candidate John Higson who received 1,106.

Labour's Richard Barber secured the Golborne Lowton West seat with an 1,140 majority over Community Action;s Abbey Aspey.

Long serving Labour councillor Fred Walker retained his Leigh East seat with 1,633 votes almost 1,000 more than Conservative rival Ian Aspinall.

Labour's Charles Rigby (Leigh South) retained his seat with 1,955 votes against Conservative Richard Short (1,032).

At Hindley Green Labour's Keir Stitt retained his seat with 1,145 votes, 237 more than the Indepedent runner-up John Vickers.

In neighbouring Hindley ward Jim Talbot (Labour) was returned again with 1,418 votes - 505 more than WIN's Brian Ellis.

 ahead of Afterwards Lord Smith thanked those who had voted for him saying: "It's not a vote for Peter Smith it's a vote for Labour. We will continue with what we are doing."

And jubilant Conservative leader Clr James Grundy welcomed Edward Houlton to the fold saying: "It's a clear statement from the people of Lowton that HS2 must be scrapped!"

Click here for a table of how the results broke down for each candidate: 2014 Local Elections Results.xlsx