A STUNNED Liberal Democrat leader said ‘nobody expected’ Labour’s success in Thursday’s elections.

For the first time in five years, the Lib Dems lost its places as the party with the highest number of seats on Warrington Borough Council.

It saw the party lose four seats to Labour and threatened its position in power.

It was a disappointing night for the party with Jo Crotty pushed into third place in the General Election too.

Clr Ian Marks said it had been a strange election.

“It is a surprise to everyone that they (Labour) has done so well.”

And he said the focus on the General Election seat, coupled with a high turnout boosting Labour, had hit his party’s chances locally.

He added: “We perhaps couldn’t focus on the local issues in they way we have in the past.”

The campaign had come in for heavy criticism with Conservative members furious about Lib Dem tactics – especially concerning some of the literature used around the NHS and Warrington Hospital.

Clr Marks said he was surprised the Conservatives were so angered by the leaflets.

It is understood the national Lib Dem office was involved with much of the campaign – an issue that Lib Dems locally may look at during the next election.