Labour councillor Terri Eynon has warned that the switch from a Conservative-controlled North West Leicestershire District Council 'will not be easy'.

Cllr Eynon has described last week's District Council elections - which saw the Conservatives lose overall control - as 'wrenching the steering wheel from the grip of your demented granny... only to realise that she still has her foot on the accelerator."

She says that it will take time to change course following 16 yers of Conservative policies - a comment that has already provoked criticism from some of the opposition candidates who lost out at the polls.

Cllr Eynon, representing the Hugglescote St Mary's Ward, posted on social media and said: "Labour being the largest group on the Council is like that dream where you lean forward from the back seat, wrench the steering wheel from the grip of your demented granny and turn the car to the left seconds before it plunges over a cliff only to realise that she still has her foot on the accelerator.

"Sixteen years of Conservative commitment to a populist tax freeze has trashed the Council tax base.

"Reliant on business rates and New Homes Bonus – both of which are liable to disappear – your Council tax contributes only 20 per cent to NWLDC's income.

Cllr Terri Eynon. Photo: Leicestershire County Council

"A tax hike of five per cent would only improve the Council's revenue by a measly one per cent.

"Why am I telling you all this? Because you need to know that the journey to the sunlit uplands of a Labour future won't be easy.

"We didn't promise you fancy toys like a cinema or a bowling alley.

"We didn't promise to keep freezing Council tax and cutting services.

"We didn't promise to make your wildest dreams come true.

"We promised to do our best with what we have.

"And so we will."