The management of High Wycombe's largest mosque has been called into question by MP Steve Baker amid "serious allegations of improper conduct".

The Wycombe MP was approached in May by a member of the Wycombe Islamic Mission and Mosque Trust - which runs four mosques in High Wycombe, Micklefield, Castlefield, Townfield House and Jubilee Road - who Mr Baker said was "rightly concerned" about its governance.

It comes after a long-running dispute between the mosques' management committee and its members, who have urged them to resign and allow for a fresh election to be called.

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There was also a major disturbance at the Townfield House mosque in Totteridge Road back in September 2017 when some members became "unhappy" with a newly introduced £25 membership fee.

The current board of trustees for Wycombe Islamic Mission and Mosque Trust was elected for a two-year period in November 2015 but is still in power now.

What does the petition say?

Presenting a petition in the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday night, Mr Baker said there were "serious allegations of improper conduct" mentioned that needed to be looked into.

He said: "In May, I was approached by a member of the largest High Wycombe mosque, who was rightly concerned about its governance.

"This evening, I present a petition on behalf of 1,095 members of the Wycombe Islamic Mission and Mosque Trust. The trust has approximately 9,000 members and is one of the largest, most important and most valued organisations in the town of High Wycombe.

"I do not wish to tell members of the mosque how to run their affairs, but charitable status means that the management committee’s conduct is open to scrutiny.

"The petition asks the Charity Commission to oversee a general meeting of members and long overdue elections to the management committee at the earliest opportunity—perhaps, like in this House, some members fear losing.

"Although the details were never made public, I understand that within the last two years a retired judge gave direction to the management committee on how it should conduct itself and on the need to comply with charity law. Other informal petitions have been organised by members.

"Recently, 2,000 members of the trust asked the management committee to hold elections; none have been announced. There are serious allegations of improper conduct contained in the petition."

​The petition urges the government minister responsible for charities to instruct the Charity Commission to oversee an AGM of members and some fresh elections.

It says that no elections have been held since November 2015, no AGM has taken place since the current management committee took office and makes allegations of a lack of "financial transparency, scrutiny and oversight" - even though the Trust reportedly had an income of more than half a million pounds in the last financial year.

The petition also makes claims of nepotism and adds: "Several individuals of the mosque management committee use their position to gain favour for their respective political parties and affiliations".

Mr Baker's office says the petition has been sent onto the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and a response can take up to eight weeks.

The Wycombe Islamic Mission and Mosque Trust has been approached for comment but has not yet responded.