Liberal Democrat vote collapses across Greater Manchester

Wigan Council's Labour group held on to 22 seats and gained one from the Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrat vote has collapsed across Greater Manchester in the local council elections.

All nine seats fell in Manchester leaving Labour in sole control of the city. Seats were also lost in the former Lib Dem stronghold of Rochdale.

UKIP gained its first seats in Greater Manchester.

The Tories celebrated the retention of their flagship council Trafford - the only authority they control in Greater Manchester.

Labour and the Conservatives lost a seat each to UKIP candidates in Bolton, but Labour retained an overall majority on the council.

In Bolton, UKIP candidate Diane Parkinson won the seat of the deputy leader of the Conservative group Andy Morgan.

Ms Parkinson said: "I'm pleasantly surprised. It's a good time for Bolton, it's certainly a good time for UKIP."

The leader of Bolton Council, Cliff Morris, said UKIP would not gain seats in Bolton in the general election next year.

Coalition government

The Liberal Democrats lost four of their five seats in Rochdale, with the leader of the group losing his seat.

The party now has one elected member on the council. In 2010 the group was in charge of the borough with 32 seats.

The group's leader Andy Kelly lost to a Labour candidate in the Milnrow and Newhey ward.

He said his party "suffered locally" as a result of being in coalition at central government level.

In Manchester the party conceded all nine seats before results were out.

In Bury, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Pickstone held his seat despite a Labour bid to unseat him, but he is the only councillor from his party remaining. Labour has 38 seats and the Tories 11.

The only bright spot for the Lib Dems was remaining the largest single party in Stockport, where no party has overall control.

In Wigan, Labour maintained overall control as 23 candidates were elected.

Labour also retained Tameside.