A SWINDON transgender muslim claims she has been banned from her local mosque.

Lucy Vallender, 28, was a Territorial Army private before having a sex change operation three years ago and converting to Islam. 

She is the second wife of a muslim man, who she wed following a whirlwind romance that began online, but said that elders at the Broad Street mosque told her she would have to pray with the men because of 'health and safety'.

Lucy, who is Britain's first burkha-wearing transgender woman, claims that when she refused they banned her from attending.

According to The Sun, a spokesman for the mosque said: "Everybody is welcome, as long as they behave according to Islam."

See tomorrow's Adver for our interview with Lucy.