A COUNCIL chamber is to become the first in the country to be used as a makeshift mosque to solve a long-running worship dispute.

Members of Clitheroe's Muslim community have written to Ribble Valley Council asking to use it for prayers on Fridays.

And officials have given the idea - which would not require the chamber to undergo any religious dedication - their preliminary backing.

A spokesman for the council said it was liaising with the community over the proposals.

The move comes a month after it was hit by its fourth refusal when a planning appeal failed against a council decision over for a mini mosque behind an Islamic education centre in Holden Street.

At the time, the council pledged to work with the Muslim community to find a suitable site for development.

But Sheraz Arshad, a spokesman for residents, said: "We believe we have a solution for now.

"We have written to the council asking for permission to use their council chamber as a place for prayer.

"It is an ideal building, as it is a public building and can be transformed easily for us.

"I will be talking with other members of the Muslim community over the week to see what they think and hopefully we can make a decision next week."

Around 15 worshippers would use the chamber at any one time.

After the last plan was blocked, the community accused councillors of using the application as a political football and councillors of voting along party lines, with Conservatives refusing to back it.

Holden Street residents also accused the council of not doing enough to find an alternative site for the mosque.

Schemes in 1998, 2000 and 2002 were also refused on the grounds of traffic and noise disturbance, the latter decision being upheld on appeal by a Government planning inspector.