Early results indicate voters are rejecting David Cameron’s wish to have ‘a Boris in every city’, with referendums in four out of ten major cities going against directly elected mayors.

Residents of Bradford, Coventry, Manchester and Nottingham have all chosen to retain the current system of local government - through which the council leader is chosen by other elected councillors, rather than a mayor elected by voters.

In Manchester the ‘no’ vote won 53.2% on a low 24% turnout of 91,270, while Coventry recorded a more overwhelming 63.6% vote in favour of maintaining the status quo on a turnout of 62,102.

Voters in Nottingham voted ‘no’ to a city mayor by a margin of 52.5% to 47.5% and in Bradford by 55.1% to 44.9%.

Results have yet to be announced in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Wakefield. However, early polling figures suggest widespread apathy, with turnout in some wards across the country as low as 8%.

In an interview with London’s Evening Standard on Wednesday, the prime minister said: ‘I am giving the country the chance to have many more Borises [via elected mayors in the big cities]. I want a Boris in Birmingham, I want a Boris in Leeds, I want a Boris in Bradford. They don’t all have to be members of the Johnson family.’

But responding to the early results, housing minister Mr Shapps told Sky News this morning: ‘People should have the right to decide how they are governed in their local area. The whole point is to give people a say. No-one is forcing mayors on anyone.’

In Liverpool - which had agreed with ministers a 'City Deal' promising greater devolved powers in exchange for a stronger mayoral governance arrangement - Labour council leader Joe Anderson secured his position as the city’s first elected mayor, winning just under 60% of the vote on a 30.8% turnout.

City mayor results are still pending at Salford, as is the outcome of Doncaster’s vote on whether the authority retain its mayoral model.

Ahead of results of the London mayoral election, which are expected between 7pm and midnight tonight, final polling predicts incumbent mayor, Boris Johnson will be returned for a second term of office - with a six point lead over nearest rival Ken Livingstone.