There were 20 of town hall’s 60 seats up for grabs with Reform UK winning the most on the night with nine.

The Greens won three while the Conservatives also won three, with Labour winning two, the Horwich and Blackrod First Independents two and the Liberal Democrats one.

Overall this left Labour with the most seats with 20, but 10 off what they need for a majority.

The Conservatives were left in second place with 11 seats and Reform UK on third with 10 and the five Liberal Democrat with five.

When counting was done there were also four Greens, four Horwich and Blackrod First Independents, three Farnworth and Kearsley First Councillors and three independents.

BREIGHTMET RESULTS IN FULL

Gillian Fernley – Green Party – 413

Derek John Gradwell – Liberal Democrats – 80

Wendy Ann Hopkinson – Independent – 33

Kate Elizabeth Taylor – Labour & Co-Operative Party – 605

Mike Tucker – Reform UK – 1890

Adele Kay Warren – Conservative Party – 974

Households must follow strict council recycling rules or risk having their bin collection refused over a common mistake. A binman says rubbish won’t be collected if a simple item is spotted inside

Getting your bins out for collection is a chore we all face, but they could be left behind if inappropriate items are discovered inside. What you may not realise is that there are stringent regulations people must adhere to in order to ensure their waste is properly collected each week.

The guidance was recently provided by a refuse collector, known as The No 1 Binman on TikTok, who regularly shares useful tips about bin collections. According to him, straightforward errors can stop rubbish from being taken, leaving you with both an eyesore and a foul-smelling issue, particularly during the warmer months.

It’s not the only expert advice of this nature to be issued either. Previously, residents were warned to stop putting a common item in their food waste bins as well.

In a video posted online, he explained there are some extremely important regulations people must follow regarding plastic recycling. It’s not as straightforward as simply tossing it in the recycling bin.

This is because various types of plastic exist. You need to understand the distinctions before disposing of it, or you could end up with a headache.

He said: “Plastic, not all plastic is the same. Ok, so you have thin plastics, you have soft plastics, you have hard plastics, and it depends on the council which they actually take.

“Most of them just take normal bottles, or tins and stuff like that in your plastic bin. [They are] the only things they’ll take. They won’t take anything like carrier bags, black bags, they also won’t take any films.

“All that sort of stuff, it ruins the machines they send the stuff to. Every recycling centre is different, so they get told what they can take and what they can’t take, and they’re the ones who make the rules. Not the binmen.

“It’s not our choice. We just get told. So, if there are any plastics that you’re unsure about, maybe ask your council website or maybe you can ask the binmen. They might know.”

So, it’s vital you’re well informed before taking any action. Getting to grips with the process could benefit you in more ways than one.

Can binmen refuse to collect your rubbish?

You might not realise it, but refuse collectors can actually turn down your waste. This commonly occurs if your recycling is contaminated, deemed excessive (too heavy or bags left beside the bin) or if the bin hasn’t been presented properly.

It’s worth bearing in mind that they are generally obliged to collect household waste unless there’s a legitimate reason not to. This is because councils have a duty to provide the service.

When they do refuse to collect, it’s typically down to safety concerns, contamination or failure to adhere to council guidelines. Leaving “side waste”, for example, can cause issues.

However, it’s important to note that carrier bags should not be placed in your household recycling. Despite being recyclable, they must be taken to designated collection points, which are commonly found at larger supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose.

Supermarkets offer in-store drop-off points for “soft plastics” such as bread bags, films and pouches. Should this type of item be found in your rubbish, refuse collectors are within their rights to leave it behind, as it risks contaminating the entire load.

It’s always advisable to check your local council’s website for guidance, as the rules can vary considerably from one area to another. Regulations can sometimes differ significantly between councils.

Daniel is a very introverted man. He’s not somebody who goes out boasting, and I know he’s taken some stick this week because of that quiet nature.

I am protective of him. I always try to talk to him before we go into any media event, prepare him.

He just doesn’t enjoy that part of the fight game. He’s really not into all the verbals.

Whoever you are, you look at how people behave and what their make-up is. That’s if you want to get the best out of them.

You have to be clever, not sly, in how you deal with it. Good interviewers do that. Daniel does all his talking in the ring.

I don’t think he’ll ever change. His dad is his mentor and that’s all he knows – he’ll look to his dad before answering the question and still usually does.

That family is a tight unit. Some boxers, as they get successful, go partying but he doesn’t do any of that stuff.

After he beat Anthony Joshua, he just wanted to go home.

I had to literally push him into the press room so the world could see him after that magnificent performance.

Our job as promoters is to find something you can bring out and get it to the public, so they want to be on this journey with this fighter.

Sometimes it’s difficult. With Prince Naseem Hamed, for example, it was easy. When I first met Naz, I knew exactly what I was going to do with him and how we were going to promote him.

So some guys are easily promotable, others it can be hard work, but that’s the business we’re in.

But Daniel has come out of his skin a bit lately. The funniest thing for me was when he did the head-to-head with Filip Hrgovic a few fights ago.

Hrgovic said Daniel had no heart, and Daniel just said he was going to knock him out – using an expletive I wouldn’t like to repeat.

I had never heard Daniel even swear before!

Everybody there was like: ‘What is that?’ It was like getting the vicar to swear. He found a voice from within himself.

The changes to school meals were approved in the budget earlier this year – with union chiefs hitting out at the health and jobs impact of the move.

A union has slammed plans to outsource the preparation of school meals which it says will lead to the loss of 50 jobs.

The changes to the current provision of meals in the region’s schools was a controversial part of the SNP administration’s budget approved in March.

It had come under criticism from Labour councillor Jen Preston, who said the region’s children deserved better than “frozen ready meals for lunch”.

But SNP councillor Gerry McLaughlan said the move was necessary as part of a package of “hard decisions” during the budget-setting process.

The heat has now been turned up in a letter from Tony Caleary from the Stirling branch of the Unison trade union to Stirling Council chief executive Brian Roberts, in which Mr Caleary outlines “grave concerns” over the plans.

In the letter, the union calls for the imposition of the changes to be “paused” until a full review of its impact is carried out – including on 50 jobs set to be affected.

Mr Caleary writes: “Unison are concerned that this budget savings proposal impacts on predominantly part-time, low-paid women who are effectively being de-skilled with the loss of over 50 posts. We believe that this could be an equality issue.

“It should also be noted that the catering staff are often the first point of contact for children in the school who are experiencing difficulties.

“They often highlight concerns around a child’s situation, in effect acting as safe-guarders.”

Unison Scotland local government lead John Mooney said: “Stirling Council needs to urgently pause these plans.

“They’re bad for staff, bad for children and bad for local businesses.

“No local authority should be seeking to sack low-paid workers and serve children unhealthier meals.

“This decision will have a negative impact on families and the local economy.”

A Stirling Council spokesperson said “Stirling Council is currently reviewing primary and nursery school meal provision as part of wider efforts to address a projected £12.25 million budget gap for the 2026/27 financial year.

“This review forms one element of a broader package aimed at achieving necessary savings across multiple service areas.

“All changes in service provision are underpinned by ongoing engagement with staff, trade unions, and communities as we navigate the financial challenges outlined in our budget planning process.

“The council would like to reiterate its commitment to no compulsory redundancies, and we are currently working on a package of support for those colleagues who are affected, which includes structured retraining programmes into other roles across the council, as well as upskilling support more generally.

“We remain committed to providing high quality, nutritional school meals that meeting all Scottish Government guidance.”

“I work as an artist, illustrator and creative projects manager, and I got into gardening in lockdown. Having two young kids I wanted to make our little garden less rubbish.

“I replaced the slippery decking with reclaimed brick paving and have gone for huge containers instead of little pots. I got more and more into plants and flowers; tulips, ox-eye daisies, cornflowers, dahlias. I am also doing a post grad in garden design.

“If I had to advise anyone about getting into gardening, I’d say just go for it, make mistakes, volunteer — you can only improve!

“My own garden is progressing slowly. It has been expensive sorting out the hard landscaping so I’m planting in stages because I don’t have lots of spare income. I also have an allotment where I want to grow food and flowers for my family.

“I love the change of the seasons, learning about what works together and the sculpture and the colours of it all. And it’s good getting a workout outdoors and doing something that doesn’t involve screens.”

@frances_glory_costelloe

Walford favourite Denise Fox, played by Diane Parish, will be diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia following a period of unexplained tiredness and resulting medical tests.

The storyline will follow her diagnosis and its impact on her and her loved ones over the coming months.

EastEnders character Denise Fox set for cancer storyline

Denise made her first appearance on the BBC soap in May 2006 and temporarily left EastEnders in early 2008 to give birth to her second child.

Parish has had two roles in EastEnders, previously playing singer Lola Christie in 1998 before playing salon manager Denise.

On the new storyline, Ben Wadey, executive producer at EastEnders, said: “It was vital to us that Denise’s storyline is portrayed with sensitivity and care, and we’re grateful to Blood Cancer UK for their advice in helping us tell this story accurately.

“As viewers follow Denise, we hope to shine a light on the realities and challenges of an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and the impact it has on the person affected and those around them.”

The blood cancer storyline is being developed in partnership with the national charity Blood Cancer UK to ensure it is depicted accurately and sensitively.

Blood Cancer UK reports that more than 40,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with blood cancer each year.

Denise Fox’s character Diane Parish will be part of a new cancer storyline on EastEnders (Image: Kieron McCarron/BBC)

Helen Rowntree, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, said: “It’s been a privilege advising the EastEnders team to ensure Denise’s storyline reflects the real experiences of people living with blood cancer and those who care for them.

“Being black and living with an aggressive blood cancer like acute myeloid leukaemia can bring additional challenges.

“We hope viewers gain a greater understanding of blood cancer’s impact, and we’re pleased this issue is being highlighted on a powerful platform, helping make a ‘hidden’ cancer more visible.”

The symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) usually develop over a few weeks, becoming more severe as the number of immature white blood cells increases, the NHS explains.

Symptoms can include skin looking pale or “washed out”, tiredness, breathlessness, night sweats, easily bruised skin, bone and joint pain, and more.

EastEnders to mark 20th anniversary of Denise Fox

The BBC will be hosting a special night dedicated to Denise Fox on May 11 as the character marks two decades on the soap.

Airing on BBC Three, a selection of EastEnders episodes will air from 8pm to 11pm, followed by the documentary ‘Manosphere’, which Parish fronts.

The episodes will highlight some of Denise’s biggest lines, including exposing her serial killer husband, Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and when she became entwined with the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters).

Plus, fans will be able to rewatch the time Denise had to choose between Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).

The BBC will air the following episodes of Denise Fox, according to Radio Times:

• 8pm – The downfall of Lucas Johnson (2010)
• 8.30pm – Denise and Ian Beale kiss (2013)
• 9pm – Keanu Taylor dies on Christmas Day (2023)
• 10pm – Denise chooses between Jack and Ravi (2025)
• 10.30pm – Joel Marshall’s behaviour takes a turn (2025)
• 11pm – EastEnders Investigates: The Manosphere (2025)

EastEnders airs on BBC One every Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm.

Who is your favourite character on EastEnders? Let us know in the comments.

He acknowledged it had been a “tough” night for Labour but said that “days like this don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised”.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made gains across the country as hundreds of Labour councillors were voted out, heaping pressure on the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir faces further heavy losses as vote counting continues throughout Friday in both English local elections and contests for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd.

All the elections in England, Scotland and Wales

In Wales, Labour is expected to lose the national vote for the first time in more than a century while the SNP appears likely to remain the largest party in Scotland after 19 years in power.

Sir Keir has already faced speculation about his leadership, with the Times reporting Energy Secretary Ed Miliband had urged the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure.

But Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy urged his party not to play “pass the parcel” with the leadership in response to the election results.

Labour sources pointed to poor local election results under previous prime ministers, including Sir Tony Blair who lost 1,100 councillors in 1999 but went on to win re-election in a landslide in 2001.

Meanwhile, Mr Farage hailed early results from Thursday’s local election as a sign his party was on course for victory at a general election that is still up to three years away.

A jubilant Mr Farage heralded a “historic change in British politics,” telling reporters “there is no more left-right” as his outfit was “scoring stunning percentages in traditional old Labour areas”.

(Image: Joe Giddens/PA)

The Reform leader compared the substantial gains to clearing Becher’s Brook, a famously difficult jump in the Grand National.

“If we cleared Becher’s Brook and landed well, we go on to win the Grand National.

“What is very clear to me is that our voters will stick with us now all the way through.”

With 40 of the 136 councils declaring their full results in the early hours of Friday, Reform’s gains reached 270 seats while Labour had lost more than 200.

Mr Farage’s party also took control of its first council of this set of contests, nabbing Newcastle-under-Lyme from the Conservatives.

Polling guru Sir John Curtice said the results confirmed “the fracturing of British politics”, telling the BBC that Reform was clearly ahead but still “probably not quite at 30% of the vote” while other parties were “just a little bit below 20%”.

He suggested the results may not be as bad for Labour as some had predicted, saying the party could lose less than 1,500 seats.