With 30 seats up for grabs, no party secured the 46 needed for overall control and the existing Tory-led administration supported by the Lib Dems is expected to continue.

A gain for Labour from the Lib Dems in Manningham was not enough to soften the blow of losing three seats to the Tories in Bowling and Barkerend, Keighley East and Keighley West.

And in a further blow, Labour councillor Phil Thornton was ousted by Lib Dem John Hall in Windhill and Wrose.

Many Tory stalwarts who hold key positions on the council's executive enjoyed a comfortable win but there was close call in Toller, where Conservative councillor, Arshad Hussain held on to his seat by just eight votes.

The council is now made up of 36 Labour seats, 35 Conservatives, 14 Liberal Democrats, three Green Party seats and two BNP.

Bradford Council leader councillor Kris Hopkins, who comfortably held his Worth Valley seat for the Tories, said: "We have defended all our seats and grown by three. This was a Labour-dominated council for ten years with massive majorities. At one point the Conservative group was down to 13 – we now have 35 seats.

"There is a real strong mandate to go from a local election into a General Election. We are ready for a General Election. Whenever Gordon Brown can make a decision we have a campaign team and a significant part of the community has already sent out a really positive message to the Conservative Party."

Bradford Labour group leader Ian Greenwood, who held his Little Horton seat by 1220 votes, said: "You get to a point where there is a massive national swing. You suffer locally because the voters are sending a message to the Government."