Having agreed they will no longer play a leading role in the running of Wirral Council, the Liberal Democrat group today said they would be "keeping a close watch" on front line services.

The group - reduced to nine members - last night voted to tear up their coalition agreement with Conservatives.

It means Labour will now run a minority administration and will control the council cabinet, which makes all major policy decisions.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Tom Harney said they are "proud of their achievements" as part of the administration over the last four years.

He said: “However, the results of the election were very clear and it is our view that we simply do not have the mandate to continue running the council as part of a coalition.

“Labour have the largest number of councillors and so should have first go at leading the council.

"It remains to be seen whether they have any coherent plans for taking Wirral forward; they certainly didn't present any in the recent elections."

He said that as an opposition party, his group will consider each decision the administration makes on its own merits and act accordingly.

He continued: "We will be keeping a particularly close watch on budgetary matters and front line services."

"Our own record over the past year has shown that substantial budget savings can be made without compulsory redundancies or loss of front line services and we will expect the same care to be taken by the Labour administration.”