Voters returned Labour candidates in all north Manchester wards at the municipal elections on Thursday 3 May 2007.

The number of people who used their vote was down on last year's figure in most wards in the area except for Higher Blackley were there was a moderate increase in turnout from 26.5% in 2006 to 29.7%.

Higher Blackley also had one of the most controversial results of the night when the British National Party came in second with 716 votes beating Conservative, Liberal Democrat, green and UK Independence parties.

The seat was comfortably held by Labour's candidate Harry Lyons with 1449 votes.

In Charlestown the Labour seat was held by Basil Curley with 1542 votes while Conservative Kim Glasspole came second with 419.

Voters in Charlestown ward will be asked to go to the polls again soon when a by-election is called following the sudden death of Labour councillor Eric Hobin last month.

Councillor Afzal Khan with family and supporters

In Cheetham ward, former Lord Mayor Afzal Khan, the first Muslim to take the office in the city, was re-elected as ward councillor with 2340 votes which was higher than any other candidate in Manchester.

Cllr Khan won the backing of the Respect Party in the run up to the election which urged their supporters to vote for the Labour candidate due to his opposition to the war in Iraq.

The Liberal Democrat vote collapsed in Cheetham. Their candidate Raja Sham came second with just 571 votes which was down from 1608 last year when Labour won with 1707.

Councillor Con Keegan celebrates victory

Across the rest of Manchester Liberal Democrats held on to their seats and gained one from Labour in Chorlton where the turnout was 43% making it the highest in the city.

The Lib Dems' Paul Ankers beat Labour's sitting councillor Angela Gallagher by 1823 votes to 1781. Angela Gallagher had originally been elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor but has 'crossed the floor' to join Labour when she fell out with Lib Dem colleagues.

Labour maintained control of Manchester Town Hall with 61 seats. The Lib Dems have 34 and the Greens have one seat. There is one vacancy.