A High Court bid to snatch back land earmarked for a £6million mosque in Dudley town centre will take place next year.

A five-day trial will be held at the London court between June and October 2012 to determine once and for all whether Dudley Council can buy the land from under the feet of the Dudley Muslim Association (DMA), scuppering its members’ dreams of a worship and community centre.

It means even if a new planning application gets the seal of approval from council officers, the fate of the project will rest in the hands of judges when the long-running battle over the land in Hall Street comes to a head.

Controversial new plans for the mosque, which has been in the pipeline for six years, were submitted last week.

But council bosses insist the land should be used for employment use and have vowed to continue battling for ownership.

To read our stories in full, log in to the premium 24 website.