LABOUR suffered two shock defeats in Oldham but ended the night one up after staving off challenge from a resurgent UKIP, independents and new grassroots party.

The ruling group also celebrated electing its first female Bangladeshi councillor in Ruji Surjan in Coldhurst - despite a difficult local campaign which supporters said was mired in misogyny.

One seat in each of the borough's 20 wards was up for election, with 102 candidates standing.

But just under a third of residents went out to vote, with turnout overall standing at 32.95 per cent.

Labour lost a key seat in Failsworth East, with cabinet member for education Paul Jacques being defeated by independent Brian Hobin by a 521 majority.

Mr Jacques had won the seat in 2017 in a by-election after then-council leader Jim McMahon stepped down to become an MP.

New Councillor Hobin said he had no idea that he would be able to take the seat, but had campaigned strongly on local issues - including green belt development.

“It’s a first attempt and I didn’t think we would do as well as we have and I am amazed, and proud. It’s very humbling,” he said.

Labour also lost their grip on Saddleworth West and Lees, with Adrian Alexander being defeated by 283 votes by Liberal Democrat candidate Sam Al-Hamdani.

Council leader Sean Fielding said they were "three up, two down" overall.

"I think it's been a peculiar night across the borough, but it's not just here it's across the rest of the country as well," he said.

"We see smaller parties and independents doing better than people expected and that's just happened here in the same way.

"Paul is such an excellent and competent local councillor and has fabulous expertise in education which will be a loss to the council.

"Overall in terms of the size of the Labour group on the council, people have voted for a Labour administration with a large majority."

But he added that Labour had learned that they needed to be better at "broadcasting our message".

Mr Alexander’s defeat leaves the mayoralty in confusion.

As deputy mayor he had been due to take over from outgoing Mayor Javid Iqbal, and take on the chains of office at a full council meeting later this month.

However, with the line of succession broken, it’s not yet known how his replacement will be selected.

Labour managed to gain Coldhurst and Medlock Vale wards back from independent councillors who had been suspended from Labour.

Montaz Ali Azad and Kaiser Rehman had both stood again to try to keep their respective seats but were swept aside by new candidates Ruji Surjan and Mohammed Alyas.

Surjan’s victory of 2,031 votes means Coldhurst voters have elected their first ever female Bangladeshi councillor.

“I feel ecstatic to win, I’m very overwhelmed,” she said.

But the new councillor added she had encountered misogyny and personal attacks during the campaign both on social media and on the streets.

“I think I have proven that women can be at the forefront and women can make positive changes - and dirty politics won’t get you anywhere,” Coun Surjan said.

“I didn’t take no for an answer.”

UKIP, which had hoped to ride to victory on a wave of dissatisfaction over the Brexit negotiations failed to claw back a seat in the council chamber.

Despite fielding 14 candidates - up from none in last year's locals - they could not translate an upswell in votes into seats.

Overall the main opposition Liberal Democrats broke even, losing one seat but gaining another in Saddleworth West and Lees.

Full list of results from Oldham

ALEXANDRA WARD

Jenny Harrison (LAB )1,255

Muhammad Sarwar (IND) 417

Carl Sinderby (UKIP) 263

Martin Dinoff (LD) 128

Jawaad Hussain (CON) 106

CHADDERTON CENTRAL WARD

Eddie Moores (LAB) 1,180

Marian Goodwin (UKIP) 435

Mohammed Jahan (CON) 325

Jess Mahoney (GREEN) 256

Barbara Beeley (LD) 129

CHADDERTON NORTH WARD

Mohon Ali (LAB) 1,388

Tracy Woodward (IND) 936

Mohammad Alom (CON) 468

Chris Parr (GREEN) 188

John Hall (LD) 153

CHADDERTON SOUTH WARD

Graham Shuttleworth (LAB) 964

Jack Dickenson (UKIP) 482

Robert Barnes (CON) 390

Melodey Walker (GREEN) 123

Tabirul Islam (LD) 76

COLDHURST WARD

Ruji Surjan (LAB) 2,031

Montaz Azad (IND) 1,700

Kutub Uddin (LD) 537

Jean Betteridge (GREEN) 229

Md Miah (CON) 153

CROMPTON WARD

Louie Hamblett (LD) 1,233

Colin Jones (UKIP) 523

Phelyp Bennett (CON) 463

Alex Jones-Casey (LAB) 391

FAILSWORTH EAST WARD

Brian Hobin (IND) 1,347

Paul Jacques (LAB) 826

Antony Cahill (CON) 295

Alan Belmore (LD) 46

FAILSWORTH WEST WARD

Elaine Garry (LAB) 855

Warren Bates (IND) 711

Annette Evans (UKIP) 325

Michele Stockton (CON) 192

Andy Hunter-Rossall (GREEN) 191

Richard Darlington (LD )52

HOLLINWOOD WARD

Steve Williams (LAB) 990

Matthew Woods (UKIP) 457

Sajjad Hussain (CON) 123

Stephen Barrow (LD) 118

David Maybury (GREEN) 76

MEDLOCK VALE WARD

Mohammed Alyas (LAB) 1,346

Kaiser Rehman (IND) 992

Marcus Esbach (UKIP) 231

Philip Howarth (IND) 186

Neil Allsopp (CON) 128

Daniel Clayton (GREEN )83

Rachel Pendlebury (LD) 64

ROYTON NORTH WARD

Clint Phythian (LAB) 840

Allan Fish (CON) 674

Paul Goldring (UKIP) 573

Lina Shaw (GREEN) 219

Russell Gosling (LD) 168

ROYTON SOUTH WARD

Steven Bashforth (LAB) 1,014

Anthony Prince (UKIP) 549

Ian Bond (CON) 289

Jim Stidworthy (GREEN) 189

Ken Berry (LD) 143

SADDLEWORTH NORTH WARD

George Hulme (LAB) 704

Carl Roberts (SADF) 650

Luke Lancaster (CON) 592

John Eccles (LD) 567

Chris Green (UKIP) 255

Phil Sewell (IND) 188

SADDLEWORTH SOUTH WARD

Graham Sheldon (CON) 1,068

Brian Lord (LD)649

Duncan Goodman (SADF) 496

Connor Green (LAB) 466

Helen Bishop (IND) 435

Harry Moore (UKIP) 244

Alec Crook (IND) 51

SADDLEWORTH WEST & LEES WARD

Sam Al-Hamdani (LD) 953

Adrian Alexander (LAB) 670

Boots Errock (SADF) 660

Paul Taylor (UKIP) 280

Tom Lord (CON) 254

SHAW WARD

Chris Gloster (LD) 1,121

Ken Rustidge (LAB) 428

Rob Vance (UKIP) 318

Lisa Smirk (CON) 259

Catherine Hunter-Rossall (GREEN) 112

ST JAMES WARD

Angela Cosgrove (LAB) 634

Tony Martin (LD) 522

Colin Burrows (UKIP) 404

Amoy Lindo-Crooks (IND) 219

Atif Ali (CON) 124

Roger Pakeman (GREEN) 87

ST MARYS WARD

Nyla Ibrahim (LAB) 2,625

Miranda Meadowcroft (GREEN )177

Sean Curley (CON) 148

Pat Lord (LD) 132

WATERHEAD WARD

Peter Dean (LAB) 1,233

Linda Dawson (LD) 431

Max Woodvine (CON) 319

WERNETH WARD

Javid Iqbal (LAB) 1,877

Asghar Ali (IND) 1,610

Irfat Shajahan (GREEN) 151

Heath Fletcher (CON) 86

Keith Pendlebury (LD) 86