Parties in final campaigning for local elections

Political parties are carrying out a last day of campaigning ahead of local elections in England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday.

Referendums on creating elected mayors are also due to take place in 10 English cities.

Meanwhile, people in Liverpool, London and Salford will choose their mayor.

Labour is looking to make council gains in England and Wales after losses in 2008, while the Conservatives are hoping to defend seats they gained.

Prime Minister David Cameron has urged his fellow Tories to be "proud" of their record in office, adding that they run "the best-value councils in the country".

But Labour leader Ed Miliband has promised his party can "make a difference" at the local level, including helping pensioners and creating a "fair deal" for transport users and consumers.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has insisted that Liberal Democrat policies, such as cutting tax for the low paid, are "starting to make a difference" to the public and that the party is "focusing its resources" on places where it has the strongest chance of winning.

in 2008 the Conservatives gained 257 councillors across England and Wales, picking up 12 councils in the process.

Labour lost 334 councillors and nine councils. The Liberal Democrats gained 33 councillors and one council.

In London, Labour's former Mayor Ken Livingstone is attempting to regain the role taken from him by Conservative Boris Johnson in 2008.

Mr Johnson won by 53.2% to Mr Livingstone's 46.8% last time round.

Independent Siobhan Benita, the BNP's Carlos Cortiglia, the Green Party's Jenny Jones, Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick and UKIP's Lawrence Webb are also standing.

The 25 seats on the London Assembly are also being contested.

Twelve candidates are running for mayor in Liverpool and four in Salford.

Mayoral referendums are taking place Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wakefield.

Meanwhile, Doncaster will hold a vote to decide whether to abolish the town's directly elected mayor.

In England, 128 councils are holding elections, with some or all of the seats up for grabs.

In Scotland, 32 unitary district councils will take place, with all seats available.

And 21 out of 22 unitary district councils in Wales are conducting elections, again with all seats available.

One authority, Anglesey, has had its elections delayed until next year after the Welsh government appointed commissioners to run it following critical reports into years of political infighting on the island.