TOWN council elections across distinct areas of Bolton marked a rise in "local people in local politics" as voters pledge their support for hyper-local parties.

All town (also known as parish) council seats were up for grabs for the first time in four years.

Mirroring the Bolton Council results, town council voters in Horwich, Blackrod and Westhoughton departed from traditional allegiances to Labour and Conservative, instead moving towards localised parties.

Just over one month after achieving official confirmation from the Electoral Commission, the newly established Westhoughton First Independents claimed five seats in the wards of Westhoughton.

Fellow local party Horwich and Blackrod First had a hugely successful election, with the party taking all of the seats in Horwich Brazley and Horwich Vale, and 11 in total across all of the Horwich wards, leaving only two seats to the Liberal Democrats.

Of the mainstream parties, Labour has disappeared from town councils. Not only has the party vanished entirely from Horwich, Westhoughton has also deviated from its red history.

From nine Westhoughton town councillors, the party now have none, with Labour Town Mayor Arthur Price even losing his seat in the White Horse ward.

Labour did have better fortunes in Blackrod, where candidates won three seats in the area.

The only challenger to the Horwich and Blackrod First Independents in Horwich, the Liberal Democrats, proved the most popular traditional party.

Liberal Democrat candidates swept Westhoughton ward and achieved the most seats, taking the entirety of the Daisy Hill and Wingates wards. The party won nine seats in total, with the Conservatives winning four and the Westhoughton First Independents taking five.

Those who occupy the hotly contested seats in Horwich, Westhoughton and Blackrod wards will be debating and deciding on neighbourhood planning, local events, and even taxes. Parish councillors make important choices for residents but also provide them with the first forum in local government to raise their own concerns.

Re-elected town and borough councillor David Wilkinson says that the results this year mark a transition to hyper-local politics. He said: "This is my 40th year in politics. It's a totally unknown situation. [The Bolton Council results are] a very confused situation, some order will come out of it eventually."

"Hopefully we can all work together for the benefit of Westhoughton. There's a lot of parties, but hopefully that will not impinge on the town council and we'll work together in a constructive manner."

Cllr David Grant, of the highly successful Horwich and Blackrod First Independents, said: "It's been a hard-fought campaign. I think the people in Horwich have spoken, that they want local people in local politics."

Here are all of the results for the 2019 Bolton town council elections:

In BLACKROD, there were three positions up for grabs for each of the two wards.

BLACKROD SOUTH — Winners: Alan Bury, Graham Farrington, Suzy Warburton.

Alan Bury (Lab) 158

Graham Farrington (Ind) 306

Diane Parkinson (Cons) 143

Suzy Warburton (Ind) 290

BLACKROD CENTRAL — Winners: Susan Baines, Sue Gaskell, Isabel Seddon.

Susan Baines (Cons) 172

Alan Stephen Bury (Lab) 157

Sue Gaskell (Ind) 351

Isabel Seddon (Lab) 236

BLACKROD NORTH was uncontested. The three seats have been won by Nick Bell (Ind), Michael Hollick (Cons) and John Price (Ind). Town councillors and Michael Hollick and John Price were re-elected.

In HORWICH, the number of seats available depended on the ward.

HORWICH BRAZLEY — Winners: Andy Coward and Sue Denton.

Andy Coward (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 435

Sue Denton (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 351

Carol Forshaw (Cons) 80

Joyce Kellet (Lab) 276

Kevin McKeon (Lab) 222

Kevin Mulligan (Lib Dem) 113

HORWICH BRIDGE — Winners: Michael Baines, Jake Bostocksmith, Peter Wright.

Michael Baines (Cons) 414

Jake Bostocksmith (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 610

James Bullock (Lab) 305

John Falch (Lib Dem) 162

David Holden-Locke (Lab) 280

Denise Silcock (Lab) 325

Peter Wright (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 631

HORWICH CHURCH — Winners: Marie Brady and Gordon Stone.

Marie Brady (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 755

Richard Silvester (Lab) 371

Gordon Stone (Lib Dem) 564

Kevin Walsh (Lib Dem) 186

HORWICH CLAYPOOL — Winners: Ian Aldcroft and Steve Rock.

Ian Aldcroft (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 415

Kate Lewis (Lab) 160

Irene McKeon (Lab) 173

Samuel Rimmer (Cons) 232

Steve Rock (Lib Dem) 454

Scott Turner-Preece (Lib Dem) 319

HORWICH LEVER PARK — Winners: Stewart Burke, Steven Chadwick and Ken Denton.

Matthew Allen (Lib Dem) 182

Stewart Burke (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 614

Steven Chadwick (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 617

Ken Denton (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 465

Anne Galloway (Cons) 73

Mike Jarvis (Lab) 233

Peter McGeehan (Lab) 213

Julia Silvester (Lab) 208

Elizabeth Turner (Lib Dem) 165

Caroline Turner-Preece (Lib Dem) 141

HORWICH VALE — Winners: David Grant and Craig Rotheram.

Dorothy Bullock (Lab) 181

David Grant (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 585

Richard Humphrey (Lib Dem) 62

Jayne Littler (Lab) 168

Craig Rotheram (Horwich and Blackrod First Ind) 615

In WESTHOUGHTON, the number of seats available depends on the ward.

WESTHOUGHTON CENTRAL — Winners: Richard Brennan, Carol Kirkman, Neil Maher and Angela Seddon.

Richard Bates (Lab) 385

Richard Brennan (Westhoughton First Ind) 429

Colette Harkin (Lab) 321

Kevan Jones (Lab) 374

Carol Kirkman (Lib Dem) 497

Neil Maher (Lib Dem) 438

Pamela Naylor (Westhoughton First Ind) 419

Angela Seddon (Lib Dem) 428

Taryn Watters (Lab) 338

Alvis Younge (Lib Dem) 398

WESTHOUGHTON CHEQUERBENT — Winners: Derek Bullock and Jack Speight.

Maureen Askew (Lib Dem) 212

Derek Bullock (Cons) 288

James Copper (Lab) 147

Jack Speight (Westhoughton First Ind) 314

Martin Tansey (Lib Dem) 138

WESTHOUGHTON DAISY HILL — Winners: Rebekah Fairhurst, Deidre McGeown, Janette Nicholson.

Rebekah Fairhurst (Lib Dem) 510

Anita Jackson-Baratinsky (Westhoughton First Ind) 365

Deirdre McGeown (Lib Dem) 632

Janette Nicholson (Lib Dem) 453

Victoria Rowley (Westhoughton First Ind) 433

Martin Tighe (Cons) 320

Gill Williams (Lab) 338

WESTHOUGHTON HOSKERS AND HART COMMON — Winners: Toby Hewitt, Lisa Reilly and David Wilkinson.

Derek Gradwell (Lib Dem) 111

Zoe Gratrix (Cons) 161

Toby Hewitt (Cons) 163

Kumar Kakinada (Lib Dem) 69

Karl Landauro (Lab) 115

Lisa Reilly (Westhoughton First Ind) 227

Nilda Speight (Westhoughton First Ind) 157

Anna-Marie Watters (Lab) 134

David Wilkinson (Lib Dem) 229

WESTHOUGHTON WHITE HORSE — Winners: Martyn Cox, Marina Maley, Andy Morgan and Charlie Reilly.

Martyn Cox (Cons) 839

Lee Hill (Lib Dem) 559

Brian Holland (Lib Dem) 545

Stephen Leape (Lib Dem) 482

Marina Maley (Westhoughton First Ind) 643

Andy Morgan (Cons) 665

Arthur Price (Lab) 425

Charlie Reilly (Westhoughton First Ind) 595

Alan Riley (Lib Dem) 471

Amanda Stewart (Lab) 314

WESTHOUGHTON WINGATES — Winners: Bernadette Eckersley-Fallon and Michelle O’Riordan.

Bernadette Eckersley-Fallon (Lib Dem) 363

Anthea Ingle (Westhoughton First Ind) 110

Michelle O’Riordan (Lib Dem) 164

Patricia Rothwell (Cons) 155

Eifion Williams (Lab) 150