A Lord Mayor walked out of an Islamic charity lunch after discovering that he would have to be segregated from his female consort.
Labour councillor John Thomas, 70, arrived at the function last Sunday with consort Margaret Corley, 72.
But Councillor Thomas, the Lord Mayor of Leicester, was said to be upset at being told he would have to dine in an upstairs function room with male guests, while his consort would be seated downstairs with the other women.