THE Labour party put in a strong performance in the four Keighley Town Council wards contested in the local election.

The party, which was mounting its first ever concerted effort to gain representation on the 30-seat council, put forward 11 candidates in total for the 15 town council wards.

Six of these candidates contested the four town council wards which required elections. These wards were: Fell Lane and Westburn, Highfield, Spring Gardens and Utley and Knowle Park.

The final results for the town council elections were not revealed until 7.15pm yesterday.

Three seats were up for grabs in Fell Lane and Westburn, and were contested by six candidates, including sitting town councillor Gary Pedley and sitting councillor and UKIP representative George Firth.

Cllr Firth comfortably topped the poll with 767 votes followed by successful newcomer and Labour challenger Phillip Shaw who gained 597. Cllr Pedley picked up the third slot with 585 votes.

In Highfield ward, where two seats were available, the two sitting councillors held onto their seats - beating off two other challengers, including one from UKIP.

Cllr Amjid Ahmed gained 776 votes and Cllr Shabir Ahmed was in second place with 709.

Labour's strongest showing was in Spring Gardens and Utley ward. Six candidates jostled for a place on one of the three seats available, and all three were won by the Labour members.

Fulzar Ahmed, who narrowly lost a previous attempt to join the town council four years ago, polled 910 votes. He was joined on the council by fellow Labour candidates Shahzad Mahmood, 880 votes, and Mohammad Anayat, 803. Sitting councillor John Baxandall lost his seat.

The first of the town council ward results to be announced yesterday were for Knowle Park, where three candidates fought for one seat.

Nasar Ali, 476 votes ousted sitting councillor Abul Kalam Azad, who picked up 311.