By Maria La Rocca BBC News Online

In a city with a tough political reputation, it has been hard to bear.

There was a time, not so long ago, when 30,000 people crammed into Liverpool city centre's Castle Street to listen to its civic rulers on the town hall balcony.

Yet little more than a decade later, the city once renowned for its local politicians with national-sized reputations, is now in the record books for possessing the council ward with the lowest-ever turnout.

And with the local elections fast approaching, voter apathy presents the biggest threat to candidates in Liverpool's Melrose ward.

Nowadays councillors are no more than glorified bureacrats

Derek Hatton

For Derek Hatton, the diminishing numbers of people keen to vote in local elections is particularly apparent.

In 1985, Mr Hatton was Labour deputy leader of the city council - he helped orchestrate the protest in support of councillors who faced being disqualified over their illegal budget.

Mr Hatton said: "To stand on the balcony of the town hall and see 30,000 people exercising their democratic right was very rewarding.

"It was a very challenging time to be in power. Nowadays councillors are no more than glorified bureacrats.

'Clear choice'

"I would never ever stand as a councillor again.

"In the 80s we used to get a 60-70% turnout across the city - everyone wanted to vote. They may not necessarily have agreed with us but they saw a clear choice."

The low point came when only 6.3% of electors turned out to vote in the city's Melrose ward for a by-election in December 1997 - the lowest ever in an official government ballot.

A Liverpool City Council spokesman said: "The turnout in this ward is normally about the city average, which in 2000 was approx 20%."

But the four candidates standing in the Melrose ward on 2 May 2002 are still trying to beat the problem of stay-at-home voters.

Liberal Democrat candidate Graham Seddon said: "The Lib Dem agent for the1997 by-election discovered that in the southern end of the ward - which you could say is more run-down - less than 2% of people voted.

"I think at one polling station, fewer than 10 people came all day.

'Radical policies'

"I always think if people don't vote they shouldn't be complaining."

On the streets of Melrose - which covers the area around Kirkdale and Walton - Anthony Earle, 18, an unemployed chef, doubts he will use his new right to vote.

Melrose is home to Everton FC's stadium

"Who cares who wins? The leaflets have come through our door but a cross by a name means nothing - I don't know these people.

"Maybe if the people running for the council had come round our college I would have talked to them about it."

Former councillor for Melrose, Alfie Hincks, standing once again as an independent Labour candidate, needs no reminding you cannot force people to the polling booths.

In 1997, he won the council seat by pulling in just 272 votes - with 12,000 on the electoral register.

Mr Hincks said: "Ten years ago you could guarantee about 3,000 people would come out to vote for Labour in Melrose.

"Then Neil Kinnock came to wield the axe and the more radical policies emerged.

"When Melrose was taken away from Labour, it was a milestone in their history."

'No faith'

Jimmy Richardson, 32, standing for the minority Liberal party, feels voter apathy will always be rife in deprived parts of Liverpool.

"People with fewer opportunities choose to opt out of the system because they see no way forward.

Anthony Earle gets his first chance to vote this year

"Until better services are delivered, there's a real fear voter turnout in these wards will diminish further."

John Turner, 51, landlord of the Melrose Abbey pub, said: "Young and old will always moan about the council tax but the younger ones have no faith in local democracy to change anything.

"I've tried to get my 22-year-old son to vote but he's not interested."

Labour candidate Peter Dowling, 54, said: "I don't think turnout in Melrose is any different to Liverpool's other traditional Victorian communites.

"The affluent areas always get more people coming out.

"Apathy in inner-city areas comes from a general disillusionment with politics."

The Candidates in Melrose are: P Dowling, Labour; A Hincks, "Ward Labour"; J Richardson, Liberal; G Seddon, Liberal Democrat.