One of the community's leading religious charities, the Lubavitch Foundation, is more than five months behind in filing accounts with the Charity Commission.

The charity watchdog said that it had sent "numerous" reminders to the foundation whose latest accounts, for the year 2009, which have been overdue since the end of last October.

Three and a half years ago the foundation faced serious financial difficulties with debts of around £1.5 million and owing the Inland Revenue more than £450,000 in PAYE contributions.

But Rabbi Bentzi Sudak, chief executive of Lubavitch, said that the debt to the Revenue had now been paid.

The accounts would be filed shortly after Passover, Rabbi Sudak said. "Our accountants are working very hard to consolidate the accounts of over 30 centres throughout the country. Because of the complexity  and size of the system, the process takes a long time.

Pledge to file accounts after Pesach

"We are therefore working with our accountants to continue to modernise, automate and streamline the system across the board to minimise any future delays in filing our accounts."

According to the last available accounts for 2008, the charity was proposing to sell a property worth an estimated £1.75 million to clear its debts.