LABOUR leaders have offered joint-rule deals to at least one other party in a last-ditch bid to cling onto power at Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The moves were revealed as talks over a three-way minority party takeover of the authority -- thrust into limbo by the resignation of six Labour councillors -- broke down at the 11th hour last night.

Coun Kate Hollern, installed as Labour leader following the shock defeat of Sir Bill Taylor in Audley at last week's local elections, is understood to have approached at least one minority party leader with an offer -- and then an improved offer -- to share power.

But it is thought the moves were rejected in favour of a minority power-share -- as opposition parties look to grab the opportunity to ditch Labour.

And it looks increasingly like Mahfooz Hussain (Bastwell), Yusuf Jan-Virmani (Audley), Iftakhar Hussain (Bastwell), Parwaiz Akhtar (Bastwell), Salim Mulla (Queen's Park) and Faryad Hussain (Queen's Park) will be asked to form an administration with Tory and Lib Dem councillors.

Their resignations have left Labour with 27 seats, the Tories with 17 and the LibDems with 12. But a two-seat election in Darwen's Earcoft could even up the parties next month, leaving the new independents holding the balance of power.

Their decision to quit Labour so soon after gaining election on a Labour ticket has already been slammed by leading Labour politicians, including Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson.

Conservatives, led by leader Coun Colin Rigby, and Liberal Democrats held talks late into the night yesterday to try to agree a deal with a newly formed group made up of six break-away former Labour members.

They will meet again tonight and Lib Dem leader Paul Browne said he would be putting a firm proposal to his councillors.

The six defected on Tuesday, leaving Labour without an overall majority for the first time in 21 years.

The move followed a meeting of the Labour group to decide on executive board portfolio holders following the elections. Labour insiders said Coun Mahfooz Hussain was not going to retain his education portfolio but the Labour defectors said criticism over the failure of Sir Bill to gain re-election in a predominantly Asian ward prompted their move.