The decision to hand over lease for the old Abergavenny Library building to be used as the county’s first mosque is now on hold, with a special meeting last night determining the future use of the building should be reconsidered.

A pre-arranged meeting, which was scheduled before Islamophobic graffiti was discovered on the building earlier this week.

The decision has been referred back to Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet for reconsideration after three councillors called in the decision at the start of the week.

However, it was the cabinet itself that had decided to grant a 30-year-lease to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association in May. If it stands by its original decision, the building would be set to become the county’s first mosque.

The Mayor of Abergavenny was pictured at County Hall last night, holding placards alongside the ‘Abergavenny Town of Sanctuary’ which identified the group’s support for the MMCA mosque.