BARRIE Grunewald has overcome a challenge for the leadership of the St Helens Labour group tonight, the Star understands.

Labour politicians gathered this evening for their annual meeting at St Helens Town Hall where he was expected to face the challenge.

Ahead of the meeting Deputy Council leader Andy Bowden, Councillor John Fulham, Councillor Richard McCauley and Gareth Cross were due to contest Cllr Grunewald for the leadership.

Sources told the Star tonight that Cllr Grunewald had won the contest and he is set to remain leader of the council.

Councillor Bowden had deputised for Cllr Grunewald for four months while the leader was recovering from a heart attack suffered in Gran Canaria.

The council leader has been under fire over the past 10 days since labelling green belt campaigners “nimbies” in a response to a tweet by the Rainford Action Group.

But that was not believed to be the reason behind the challenge, which has been in the offing for weeks.