THE row over control of the embattled Lea Bridge Road mosque continues to rage despite a management committee handover ceremony taking place.

The mosque, which is managed by the Waltham Forest Islamic Association (WFIA), has been at the centre of an ongoing power struggle between two rival factions since 2006.

The group opposing the previous committee says it now has approval from the Charity Commission to taker over the WFIA but claims its rival group refused to relinquish assets or office keys.

Tariq Mahmood, representing the opposition group, said: “It's just a matter of getting the keys but we still might have to go to court.

“We're nearly there – it's just a matter of taking that final step.”

An election to choose a new committee was held on August 16, won by the group opposing the previous committee, but the result has since been challenged.

It has been claimed that the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, contracted to oversee the process, failed to send out invitations to all registered voters and that the election was a “sham”.

The previous committee sought a court order to prevent the opposition from taking office but a formal handover ceremony took place last night (Thursday).

The ceremony was overseen by borough commander Chief Superintendent Mark Benbow, who has been closely involved with resolving the dispute between the factions.

Both sides have accused each other of violence and matters came to a head earlier this year when members of the opposition were allegedly barred from the mosque.

Resulting protests outside the mosque led to months of mediation through Waltham Forest police, which concluded in June.

A Charity Commission investigation was also launched into the purchase of a building using more than £1million of WFIA funds after it was found it had no properly appointed trustees.

A date has not yet been set for the release of a report on the investigation.

The Charity Commission is expected to comment on the election result today.

Ch Supt Benbow has said he will not comment until the matter has been resolved in court.

The Guardian is set to receive a statement from the outgoing committee today.