LABOUR retained control of Bradford Council – but with less seats – following the local elections as the Conservative group reflected on Keighley-district losses.

In Keighley West, sitting Conservative councillor Julie Glentworth lost her seat to Labour candidate Joe O'Keeffe.

And the Tories lost out to the Green Party in Craven ward.

Conservative Russell Brown was re-elected in the Worth Valley, and the party was successful in Bingley Rural, whilst Labour retained both Keighley Central and Keighley East.

Afterwards council leader, Labour councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said: "We won some seats, but lost some good colleagues who have served the district very well. I want to thank them for their service."

Worth Valley councillor Rebecca Poulsen, the Conservative group leader, said: "We are pleased that our vote locally held up significantly better than in many other areas of the country, but obviously we're disappointed that we lost Julie Glentworth in Keighley West and closely lost Craven ward, although with an increased Conservative vote from last year.

"The loss of the seats, like reduced majorities in some other wards, are an unfortunate result of public dissatisfaction with politics and are often protest votes which don’t reflect on the hard work individual councillors do in their communities.

"It's unfortunate that national politics has protected the Labour Party from losing more seats on the council, when they have so badly damaged it."

Keighley-district results:

Bingley Rural – Geoff Winnard (Con) 2,528; Jenny Kimber (Lab) 1,723; Brian Newham (Green) 548; Helen Baranowski (Lib Dem) 239.

Craven – Neil Charles Whitaker (Green) 2,455; George William Buckley (Con) 2,288; Andrew Mark James Knight (Lab) 736; Peter John Kaye (Yorkshire Party) 299; Leo Alexander Robinson (UKIP) 110, Paul Michael Mann (Lib Dem) 59.

Keighley Central – Mohsin Hussain (Lab) 2,902; Vaz Shabir (Ind) 1,889; Clare Alison Abberton (Con) 498; Peter Alan Ferguson (Green) 234; Nick Allon (Lib Dem) 115.

Keighley East – Fulzar Ahmed (Lab) 1,561; Jenna Ambler (Con) 1,383; Nasser Razak (Ind) 491; Duncan Nigel Stuart Hunnisett (Green) 362; Pauline Heather Allon (Lib Dem) 296; Alexander Richard Vann (Social Democratic Party) 58.

Keighley West – Joe O'Keeffe (Lab) 1,238; Julie Glentworth (Con) 968; Adrian Stuart Farley (Green) 448; Andrew Mark Judson (Reform UK) 297; Dominic James Atlas (Yorkshire Party) 113; David John Hewitt (Lib Dem) 57.

Worth Valley – Russell Brown (Con) 2,327; Ashwaan Joomun-Whitehead (Lab) 1,309; Alyson Claire Telfer (Green) 328; Kay Kirkham (Lib Dem) 165.