POLICE hope these CCTV images will lead them to a burglar who stole £3,000 from a Bolton mosque after posing as a worshipper.

The thief broke into the Al- Falah Majid Mosque in Salisbury Street, Deane, at 6.45am on Wednesday last week.

He was filmed taking off his shoes before searching the empty building.

The burglar then went upstairs and smashed his way through the glass door of an office where he found a small safe.

He managed to break into the safe, which contained about £3,000, and fled with the cash.

The money was to be spent on the mosque’s young people.

Police are now appealing to the public for help in tracing the man.

Abdul Bux, who is a member of the mosque, said he hoped people would give the police any information which would lead to the burglar’s arrest.

He said: “Everybody is in shock. That money was for the children and came from donations.

“We just hope the police can find him.”

PC Paul Hickman, of the Rumworth Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I would ask members of the local community to look closely at the images to see if you know who the man is.

“It is clear from the footage the man was very comfortable in the mosque and knew where he was going so the man may well live locally.

“Burglaries at places of worship are very rare in this area and to stop anything like this again we need to catch this man.”

The thief was Asian, wearing a blue Adidas jacket and dark trousers.

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5619 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.