An Oldham councillor has said he has been "inundated with concerns from residents" due to noise from prayer calls in Chadderton during Eid celebrations.
Cllr Jon Ford, who was recently elected as a Reform UK councillor to Chadderton North, shared on his Facebook page that residents had told him they had found the noise "disruptive and distressing" on Wednesday (May 27) morning.
Multiple events were held around the borough to mark Eid al-Adha with people congregating in public spaces to mark the occasion.
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In his statement, Cllr Ford wrote: "In just two hours I have been inundated with concerns from residents—via email, text message, and in-person conversations—regarding the duration and level of noise from what I believe was the Eid call to prayer emanating from Chadderton Cemetery this morning.
"The strength of feeling is significant. Many residents have expressed how disruptive and distressing they found the noise, which began at 8am and continued for almost an hour, reaching far beyond the immediate area.
"I want to reassure residents that I have escalated these concerns as a matter of urgency to the highest levels within Oldham Council."
Oldham Council, which had warned residents to "be aware" of "higher levels of traffic around Chadderton Cemetery" on Wednesday due to Eid, said the concerns were not to do with them.
Hamid Ali, an organiser of the Eid in the Park which is held annually in Berries Field Park near Westwood, said any noise issues were not to do with that event, which he said had been a "brilliant success".
Mr Ali said: "Our event has been happening for four years and we have never had a complaint. We make sure any event we organise takes the residents into consideration. We've not had any complaints from local residents, all I can assume is it's probably from a different one.
"We keep our event open for everyone, even if you don't want to participate in the prayers, anyone of any faith and any background is welcome because we want community cohesion. We started at 9.30am and were done within an hour and a half. Our speakers wouldn't have reached north Chadderton."
Cllr Ford added: "I am also very concerned that, at the time residents were trying to report the issue, the Council’s 'report a noise nuisance' system was unavailable due to maintenance, which prevented people from formally logging their complaints.
"I will continue to press the Council for answers and action on this matter."
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