LABOUR was battling to hang on to power in Bolton today as the town went to the polls.

Voting began at 7am as weeks of campaigning drew to a close.

The polling stations will close at 10pm when the ballot papers will be taken to the Bolton Arena at Middlebrook for the count.

It is thought that all of the results will have been declared by around 2am tomorrow morning.

In all, 72 candidates are fighting for seats on Bolton Council.

One-third of the council's 60 seats - one in each of the 20 wards - are up for grabs.

Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all have a candidate in every ward, while the Greens are contesting 10 seats and Veritas and the BNP each have a candidate in the Tonge with the Haulgh ward.

Eight of the 20 seats being contested are held by Labour, with six in Conservative hands and six with the Liberal Democrats.

Labour currently controls the council with 24 seats after seizing power from the Liberal Democrats last May.

The Lib Dems hold just 15 seats and the Conservatives, on 21 seats, are hoping to make the gains needed to return to power for the first time since 1980.

Although 31 seats are needed to gain an overall majority, the largest party in Bolton has traditionally taken control of the council.

Four sitting councillors have chosen not to seek re-election.

The Lib Dems Stewart Ball, Martyn Cox and John Ainscough are standing down due to family reasons and work commitments.

Veteran Farnworth Labour councillor Ray Stones, who is suffering from ill-health, has decided to retire at the age of 80.

Voters in Westhoughton, Horwich and Blackrod will also be able to choose between 53 candidates in the first town council elections to be held since 2003.

Because of boundary changes, the number of seats on Westhoughton Town Council will increase from 12 to 18.

On Horwich Town Council, the number will increase from 12 to 14.

The number of seats on Blackrod Town Council, nine, remains unchanged.

The council has reduced the number of polling stations from the 150 available last year to 121, saying that more people are now voting by post. But the number of people who have registered for a postal vote has actually fallen, from 29,722 last year to 28,214 this time around.

New security safeguards meant applicants had to provide a signature and date of birth when applying to vote, which will be checked against the signature and date of birth on their ballot paper.

The overall number of people registered on the electoral role in Bolton has increased from 197,649 people last year to 201,982 people this year.

  • Eight BNP candidates and one independent are looking to split the "big three" parties in Bury.

There are 60 candidates competing for 17 seats, one third of the council's seats.

The current make-up of Bury Council is: Labour 23 seats, Conservatives 22 and Liberal Democrats six.