Labour lost four seats to the Tories and Independents - including the shock defeat of high profile Cabinet member for children and young people's services Brian Wilson and Standish veteran, George Davies.
CVoun Wilsonwas defeated in a close-fought tusslre by Conservative, Sean Ell.
It was also a disastrous night for the six-year-old Community Action Party.
They saw two sitting councillors unseated including controversial founder and leader Peter Franzen and have now lost the right to form, in coalition with the Lib Dems, the official Democratic Alliance opposition.
But Wigan's increasingly rejuvenated Tories are celebrating their strongest position for decades.
Leader Coun Mike Winstanley now heads a group of 14 councillors, up four, while the independents won two more seats to give them seven.
BNP, which had fielded seven candidates across the borough, again failed to make significant progress in increasing their core vote.
Labour leader Lord Smith was putting a brave face on the evening, despite his party's losses.
* For full reaction & pictures, read next week's Leigh Reporter

Results:



LEIGH:

ASTLEY/MOSLEY COMMON
S Ell (C) 1207
B Wilson (Lab) 1040
G Clements (Lib Dem) 634

ATHERLEIGH
S Loudon (Lab) 1246
A Solomon (C) 858

ATHERTON
B Splaine (Ind) 976
E Yusifzade (Lab) 858
D Higginbottom (Lib Dem) 821
M Nicholls (C) 426
S Hall (Respt) 222

GOLBORNE/LOWTON WEST
Y Klieve (Lab) 1186
P Franzen (CAP) 1110
J Oxley (C) 282
S McEllenborough (BNP) 178
F Davies (Ind) 129

HINDLEY
J Ellis (Ind) 1347
M Dooley (Lab) 696
D Culshaw (Ind) 515
M Winstanley (C) 277

HINDLEY GREEN
B Brierley (Ind) 1105
M Long (Lab) 655
S Foy (C) 353
R Fagan (CAP) 351

LEIGH EAST
K Cunliffe (Lab) 981
D Angell (C) 649
G Jackson (Lib Dem) 597

LEIGH SOUTH
K Anderson (Lab) 1372
A Oxley (Con) 1000
IK Franzen (CAP) 476
G Chadwick (BNP) 470

LEIGH WEST
S Greensmith (Lab) 1543
D Young (C) 817

LOWTON EAST
J Grundy (C) 1972
IS Franzen (CAP) 943
J Cowley (Lab) 758

TYLDESLEY
R Bleakley (Lib Dem) 1827
B Taylor (Lab) 621
H Hayden (C) 313