Fears over a lack of funding for a £3m Oxford mosque has led to council bosses blocking the start of building work.

Oxford City Council gave the Mosque Society planning permission to build the place of worship in Manzil Way 18 months ago.

Mayor Carole Roberts was due to attend the stone-laying ceremony which would have signalled the beginning of building work on the old Cowley Road hospital site.

But the council, which owns the land, pulled the plug on the event because they are worried that there may not be sufficient funds in place.

The Mosque Society plans to build the three-storey mosque in phases. But council bosses want to avoid the structure being left half-built, a possibility if funds run out.

Richard Giles, head of the council's property divisional said: "The project may be delayed by about a month until we iron out the terms of our agreement.

"It is in no-one's interest for the mosque to be half-built and we need clarification to ensure that sufficient money is in place."

Up to 50 Muslims are expected to attend prayer meetings five times a day at the mosque and 1,000 people will attend festivals twice a year.

Mosque Society treasurer Fazal Hussain said: "We are very optimistic that once we have held further talks with the council, the project will be able to go ahead.

"We are aiming to have enough funding to be able to complete phase two of the building, which would guarantee the complete shell of the building going up."

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