ST HELENS presents a strikingly different face to the world than it did only a few years ago.

This is literally so in the case of Dream, the award-winning 20ft high sculpture perched on top of a former colliery which now looks out across the surrounding area and has already become an icon.

And while The Saints – the most successful Superleague team in history – and the town’s glass-making heritage are still what most people associate with St Helens, in local politics there has been a sea change.

After many decades of unbroken rule, Labour’s stranglehold on the local authority was finally broken four years ago, with a Liberal Democrat council leader being kept in office with the support of the small Tory group.

Depending on who you speak to, this is either an informal alliance or a fully-fledged coalition.

At present, Labour is still the largest single group with 23 councillors, followed by the Lib Dems on 19, and the Tories with six. That means Labour only need to wrest two of the 16 seats up for grabs on Thursday to regain control, albeit by the smallest of margins.

So, for all three groups, there is much to play for before voters go to the polls.

The Labour group leader, Marie Rimmer, is a veteran St Helens councillor with 32 years’ experience on the authority, including two lengthy spells as leader. Now she is seeking a third.