A group of Bangladeshi Muslims have been denied an appeal to use their community meeting room as a clubroom, following complaints it was used as a prayer room.

Neighbours complained about noise disturbance at the site in Molesey Road, Walton, and Elmbridge Council served an enforcement notice in May 2014.

About 20 members of Elmbridge Bangladeshi Community Association (EBCA) and 15 neighbours met at the Civic Centre to discuss an appeal.

A council spokesman said on March 20: "The council received the inspector's decision, dated March 20, 2015, dismissing the appeal and upholding the enforcement notice with corrections this morning."

Councillor Andrew Kelly said on Twitter: "Just been told, the planning inspectorate has dismissed the appeal regarding the use of the outbuilding at 364 Molesey Rd as a clubroom.

"This means the council's enforcement action can go ahead to ensure the outbuilding is not used as a community association clubroom."

At the appeal hearing on February 11, neighbours said it was sometimes impossible to get out of their driveways due to numerous cars being parked outside the association's "clubhouse".

The association said centre was used by an average of 19 people a week, usually for language teaching, but objectors were adamant it was used as a prayer facility and the disturbance times matched prayer times, the first of which is daybreak.

Ian T Donaldson, speaking on behalf of the association, said: "Yes, being a Muslim centre, there are prayers but this is incidental to the main teaching function and there is no noise or prayer calls.

"It seems to be rather strange that the local planning authority have recently approved a new Tesco within 100 metres that is open from 7am to 11pm and a large new stand for Esher Rugby Club only 75 metres away.

"It seems to me that both of these will generate far more noise and traffic than the relatively small outhouse at the rear of No 364."