WIRRAL'S Lib-Dems last night put Labour back in power in the borough, after abstaining on a crucial vote on the council leadership.

Through the meeting, the party was heavily criticised by a series of Tory councillors for not backing their leader, Jeff Green, to stay at the helm.

The Lib-Dems hold the balance of power, despite being reduced to just nine councilors following the elections earlier this month.

Labour have 30 while the Tories remain on 27, the same number they had when the Lib-Dems joined them to form a coalition in 2010.

But Lib-Dem leader Tom Harney said the coalition between the two parties had failed to obtain a mandate from the electorate which saw his party decimated.

Instead, the party abstained on votes to remove Cllr Green and then install Labour leader Steve Foulkes as the leader of the council, on the basis that his party had the most seats, although still four short of the 34 needed for an overall majority.

Cllr Harney told the meeting at Wallasey town hall: "We do not have a mandate to continue running the council."

He said they had "done no deals with Labour" and the next year will be "no easy life" for the party which will lead the administration and said his party will be "casting votes on an issue by issue basis".