A BLACKBURN mosque bidding to broadcast amplified calls to prayer lost its case despite telling councillors: "The area is predominantly Muslim."

The Masjide Noorul Islam, in Audley Range, applied to Blackburn with Darwen Council for planning permission to remove a condition prohibiting calls to prayer being broadcast on external speakers.

A 182-name petition from the mosque's congregation was sent to the council, and a member pleaded with councillors at a meeting.

But members of the committee told the mosque that it had to consider all residents, from all faiths, and that an appeal from a Christian church to ring bells five times a day would also be rejected.

Mr Makda said the condition -- first imposed in 1983 -- should be removed.

"The call to prayer is an essential part of the five daily prayers, which is a principle of Islam," he said.

"Since the condition was imposed, a demographic change in that area means that the area is now a predominantly Muslim one."

Mr Makda also asked the council to consider a policy adopted by Leicester City Council that allowed amplified calls to prayer.

Council officers recommended the application be refused because it would be detrimental to residents.

Coun Andy Kay, the council's executive member for regeneration, and Coun Fred Slater, both said turning the application down was the right thing to do.

Coun Slater added: "We have to consider there are some people in that area who are not of the Muslim faith.

"A noise like this could be very disruptive."

Yusuf Jan-Virmani, the leader of a new independent group at Blackburn with Darwen Council, asked the committee to consider limiting the amplified calls to only three times a day, but this was rejected.

Chairman of the planning committee, Coun Dave Smith, said: "If a new church was set up and it wanted to ring its new bells that would also be refused."