Narberth Town Council has been threatened with legal action by one of its own members this week.

Clr. Henry Langen made the claim over fears that the Mayor's Civic Service was being held in a building inaccessible to disabled people.

The matter was raised at Tuesday night's monthly meeting of the town council when a letter of concern about the council holding the event at such a building was received from Pembrokeshire Access Group.

A muscular dystrophy sufferer and wheelchair bound, Clr. Langen, himself a well-known access campaigner and member of the group, said that he could file a court case against the council for acting unlawfully by holding the service at Bethesda Baptist Chapel in High Street.

Clr. Langen, a former Mayor himself, said he found it a 'tremendous insult' to be told that he could watch the service via video link in the undercroft, while the rest of the council and guests were in the chapel itself.

"I had words with Rev. Chris Rees (the minister of Bethesda) a couple of years ago and he thinks he has got facilities for disabled access, but they are not adequate," claimed Clr. Langen, who held his Civic Service at St. Andrew's Church when he was Mayor in 2005/06.

"We as a council are not allowed to use a premises that has not got full disabled access."

He continued: "If this council goes ahead with the service in the chapel, you will be discriminating against disabled people and I personally will take this council to court for acting unlawfully."

And he warned: "This council has to be very careful about the way forward and take advice.

"I have got my reputation to think of and as vice-chairman of Disability Wales, I cannot be seen to be condoning bad practice like this. I would be made a mockery of."

On a previous occasion when Clr. Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers was Mayor and she had held her Civic Service at Bethesda Chapel, Clr. Langen had taken part in the parade to the chapel, but then waited elsewhere until it was over, before attending the luncheon at another location afterwards.

Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Ruth Platt, said there would be other guests attending who would be using wheelchairs, but believed the chapel had all the appropriate access audit documents which made it a suitable venue.

She also suggested that Clr. Langen could be lifted from his wheelchair and placed in the chairlift at the church and then use the wheelchair at the chapel once inside.

However, Clr. Langen disputed the statement.

"This is not a personal slight on anybody. We as a council must act in a proper way by holding a public meeting in a building that is fully adequate for disabled people," he said.

"I find it a tremendous insult to be told I can watch the service on a TV screen in the undercroft. We are in 2009 and talking of human rights and equality. This is unlawful if it goes ahead. It is discrimination and we as a council cannot act like this.

"The building does not come up to legislation," he reiterated.

Clr. Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers wondered if the service could go ahead upstairs, with some of the congregation and council downstairs, while Clr. Eric Feetham suggested that the council should seek legal advice.

Clerk, Mrs. Caroline Coaker, meanwhile, was concerned that the date for the service - Sunday, July 19 - was very close.

During further discussions, Deputy Mayor, Clr. Colin Williams, asked about the possibility of hiring a marquee and holding the service on the Town Moor.

"The service at the castle last year was a thundering success and there was access for all there," he added.

"You can have the service where you like as long as there is equal access for everybody," replied Clr. Langen.

Mrs. Coaker wondered if the whole service could be held in the undercroft and Clr. Mrs. Platt agreed to ask Rev. Rees if this was possible.

The undercroft is accessible to all via a rear entrance on ground level.

Clr. Feetham said: "I move we hold the service at Bethesda, but negotiate with Rev. Rees about holding it in the undercroft."

Councillors agreed.

Rev. Rees was unavailable for comment when the Observer tried to contact him following the meeting.