A visit by Condeleezza Rice to a mosque in Blackburn was cancelled after mosque members objected.

Ms Rice was due to visit the Masjide Al Hidayah Mosque on Milham Street during her visit to Blackburn and Liverpool.

She is visiting the UK after being invited by the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is MP for Blackburn.

However, concerns were raised after members of the community learned that she had been invited to the mosque as part of the visit.

"The meeting at the mosque has been cancelled" said a mosque member at a meeting of the Stop the War Coalition on Wednesday night.

"Young people who are members of the mosque made a stand. We are thankful to them for their support in the matter."

Maullana Hanif a Blackburn resident who led the objections on behalf of the community said, "News only filtered through over the weekend about the decision to invite her to the mosue.

"Many wider mosque members and people in the community were not happy with the visit."

"A meeting was arranged with the executive committee of the mosque and it was decided such a controversial figure would not be welcome at the mosque and it was decided to cancel the visit."

He added, "If proper consultation had taken place before agreeing to the decision to invite her I think a judgement could have been made earlier."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "It is a pity that a visit to a mosque will not be included in the trip. But the visit has been organised in conjunction with and with the full support of the local community."