Hundreds of people attended the launch of the newly completed wing of Keighley’s Emily Street Mosque.

The development has roughly doubled the size of the building and includes a mortuary and space for children’s education classes.

The end of building work on the extension marks the near completion of the entire mosque, which has cost about £3 million in total.

The money has come entirely from the pockets of the local Muslim community, which has donated generously for the last six years.

The only prominent part of the building still to be finished is the planned ornamental minaret, which is currently only a metal framework.

Abid Hussain, senior vice-president of Keighley Muslim Association, said he expected work to start on this structure in the very near future.

He said the late, long-serving imam of the mosque — Pir Abdul Ghaffar Ghaznavi — had done a huge amount of work to ensure the project’s success.

Mr Ghaznavi died in August 2006.

His son, Sabzada Raza Ahmed, who is also an imam, was present at last week’s ceremony.

Mazhar Iqbal, the association’s president, and Mehboob Alam, the group’s general secretary, have both offered their thanks to Keighley Muslims, whose donations made the development possible.

Also at the launch were religious leaders Maulana Mohammed Farooq Noori, Gulam Muedin and Mufti Mohammed Ansar Qadri.

Among the invited guests were Pakistani poet Owais Raza Qadri, who delivered recitations. Other guests included Bradford-based Pakistan consul general Tariq Iqbal Sumroo, the priest in charge at Keighley Shared Church the Rev Peter Mott, Keighley News editor Malcolm Hoddy and community activist Charlie Bhowmick.