Council officials are investigating complaints from residents on a luxury housing estate that one of their neighbours is using his new conservatory as an illegal mosque.

The claims come from a residents' association in Bierley. They say Talib Hussain - chairman and general secretary of Bradford's Jamiat Tablugh Islam organisation - is breaking planning rules by using the huge conservatory at the house in Delaware Court to host monthly prayer meetings.

But today Mr Hussain denied the allegations and said the conservatory was only used for entertaining his 100-plus-member family and to celebrate some religious occasions.

He said his organisation's 15 mosques in the city were fully declared.

"I am not doing anything in the dark," he said. "I want peace in this life. It goes against my faith to have people thinking wrong of me.

"These two houses were bought privately by my sons who live here with their families but it is used by myself and all our family because it's the biggest house we have.

"It is definitely not being used as a mosque - it wouldn't make sense because there are only three or four other Muslim families living near here."

Originally about 500 people signed a petition against the conservatory. But planners passed it on condition frosted glass was used in part of it and it was for domestic use only.

A spokesman for Woodacre Residents Association, which takes in houses in and around Delaware Court, said they are fed up with hordes of cars parking on their streets and nearby Bierley Lane and blocking people's drives.

She said: "This isn't a race or culture issue. The problem is we aren't happy that a conservatory which was granted permission to be part of a normal house is, in our view, being used as a mosque. The cars are a nuisance."

But Mr Talib hit back: "I have had celebrations at the house for the family but at the most I'd say we have had about 20 cars. They are driven by educated people who should know how to park responsibly."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "Following complaints from nearby residents, officers investigated suggestions the house was being used for prayer meetings but found no evidence to support the allegations. However, we will continue to monitor the situation."