IN PARTS of the Bradford District, turnout for Thursday's local elections was as high at 79 per cent, and overall it was the highest turnout in years.

With the local council elections coinciding with the General Election, many more votes were cast than in other local elections in recent years.

In 2014, when Bradfordians were asked to go to the polls, the average turnout was 38 per cent, and in other years when the vote did not coincide with a general election, the turnout rarely rises above 40 per cent.

But with the added incentive to vote in this year's General Election, the turnout was an average of 64.4 per cent with some wards recording a turnout as high as 79 per cent.

Even the wards with the lowest turnout saw more than half of eligible adults voting.

Highest turnout was seen in the more affluent areas of the district, such as Ilkley, where turnout was at 78.57 per cent, and Wharfedale, 79 per cent.

Steve Clapcote, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Shipley, told the T&A that the pleasant weather for much of Thursday would have had an impact on voter turnout.

In Baildon turnout was 71 per cent, in Bingley 73 per cent, and in Bingley Rural it was 71 per cent. Turnout was also high in Craven, 74 per cent, Keighley Central, 69 per cent, Keighley East, 70 per cent, Worth Valley, 72 per cent, and Shipley, 71 per cent.

Not quite as high but still much higher than normal were Keighley West, 62 per cent, Windhill and Wrose, also 62 per cent and Heaton, 66 per cent. The lowest turnout was in Tong, where 51 per cent of eligible adults cast their vote.