Mosque leaders say £1,000 was stolen by a suspected burglar who is believed to have hidden inside the building as prayers finished.

The incident happened on Thursday, August 15, at the Redhill Jamia Mosque Al-Mustafa in Surrey in the early hours of the morning.

The mosque shared an image of a suspect, and it comes after similar thefts at mosques in Blackburn and Preston in recent weeks.

A mosque spokesperson said: “The mosque management has stated a person came inside the mosque for the early morning prayers around 4.30am and in the middle of performing the prayer he hid himself in the toilets.

“At the end of the prayer the mosque is checked by staff who go around the building to ensure everyone has left.

“He has broken in the collection boxes and stolen more than £1,000 cash which is donated by worshippers and there is damage to the mosque which is estimated around £4,500.”

A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: Officers are investigating following a burglary at Redhill Jamie Mosque Al-Mustafa in Earlswood on Thursday, 15 August.

“This occurred at some point between 6am and 12.30pm on Thursday when two charity boxes containing money were taken, along with a CCTV drive.

“We are working closely with the mosque to investigate, and we are sharing information with other forces who have received reports of similar burglaries in mosques in their area.

“If you have any information relating to this incident, please contact us quoting PR/45240093336.”

It follows a theft in Preston in the early hours of Friday, August 9, at the Noor Mosque in Noor Street.

CCTV images from the mosque showed a suspect at just after midnight inside the building. Mosque leaders said they were unsure how he got into the building and believe he may have hidden himself inside until people had left.

A video shared by the mosque shows an emptied safe and damage to an interior door which appears to have been ripped open.

Earlier in the month the Masjid E Tauheedul Islam said computer equipment and other items were taken during an early morning theft.

Video footage showed a man in the mosque for up to 50 minutes, after the daily morning prayers. 

It is unknown if the thefts are linked.