A ROW has broken out at a city mosque after its imam had his visa revoked and was deported.

Hafiz Majeed Al-Nasar has been on leave from his work at Jamia Mosque in Commercial Road, Pill, Newport, in his home of Lahore in Pakistan.

But, according to the imam, when he tried to arrive back in the UK earlier this week, he discovered that his work visa had been revoked by his employer.

Yesterday a protest took place outside the mosque in support of the imam.

Speaking from Pakistan, he told the Argus that he ended up being detained for two days after arriving at Heathrow and was yesterday deported.

He said he was told that his visa to work in the UK was cancelled by his employer, the Jamia Mosque.

"I was shocked and I was very upset," he said. "I didn't know what happened. All of my family were very worried."

Manzoor Ahmed of the interim committee of the mosque, which is involved in operating some of its functions but does not operate it, joined the protest yesterday and said protesters would like the imam to be reinstated.

The mosque could not be reached for comment yesterday.