A mosque in Whitechapel is on the road to gaining some canine companions after a visit from people who work with guide dogs.

The London Guide Dogs team met with Dilowar Khan, executive director of the East London Mosque, on April 9 to plan a events with worshippers and guide dogs in the coming months.

Future visits will include an awareness stand manned by staff and guide dogs inside the mosque for lunchtime prayers to inform and educate worshippers about guide dogs.

The events are run with help from RP Fighting Blindness to raise awareness about eye health and the support available to visually impaired people, and break down barriers about dogs among Muslims.

Dilowar Khan said: “We welcome guide dogs and RP Fighting Blindness to our mosque and centre.

“Very little is known by the Muslim community about guide dogs and how they help their owners – and that may be because of our religious and cultural beliefs.

“However, this should not bar us from learning about the benefits guide dogs provide.”

London Guide Dogs engagement manager Rob Harris said: “This kind of event has never happened before in London. The subject of guide dogs in a place of worship has long been a controversial one due to religious beliefs surrounding dogs.

He added: “With the full support of the forward thinking leaders at the mosque, it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to breakdown those myths and more importantly, reach out to people in the Muslim community who may be partially sighted or blind.”

For more information visit guidedogs.org.uk/londonteam and eastlondonmosque.org.uk.