A row has erupted over the decision of a parish council chairman to postpone an important meeting 'out of respect for the Muslim festival of Eid'.

Colnbrook Parish Council chairman Cllr Anup Babuta put off a full meeting of the authority two days before it was due to happen on Tuesday.

Councillors received an email from him on Sunday saying the date of the meeting was being changed 'out of respect for our Muslim residents and councillors during this important religious festival'.

The email continued: "I am sure all councillors will agree that with our new and diverse council this is the correct and respectful position to take."

He said the meeting could now be held a week later, on Tuesday, June 11.

But it has still sparked a row.

On Tuesday night this week a small group of villagers including four Conservative parish councillors gathered outside the Village Hall in Vicarage Way at 7.30pm - the time the meeting should have happened - to register their protest.

Cllr Smith who is also a Slough borough councillor and a founder member of the parish in 1996, said the parish council had always been ethnically diverse and respected councillors who had to miss meetings for religious and cultural reasons. But he said this had never led to a meeting being cancelled.

Tuesday's meeting would have included a debate on flexibility for meetings planned during religious festivals and Cllr Smith believes the postponement indicates a lack of trust..

He said: " “One thing has changed: in the past councillors who couldn’t be present for a meeting trusted other councillors to transact business in the right way.

"The cancellation of this parish council meeting pre-empts and pre-judges the debate and vote on this item. This is not right."

The Conservatives also had two other motions set to be discussed at the meeting - one calling for a public inquiry over Slough Borough Council’s plans to put a Park & Ride car park and bus terminal at the corner of Sutton Lane and the A4 at Brands Hill; the other for a commitment over upgrading the Colnbrook Recreation Grounds.

Cllr Babuta was unavailable for comment this week.