Police have named a man they are looking for after a Hindu temple in Harrow was burgled.
Dannie O'Leary, 24, is wanted in connection with the burglary of Shri Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple on Westfield Lane on November 13 at about 3.45am.
Police are treating the crime as linked to the callous theft of priceless sacred statues and Diwali donations from another temple in Brent just four days earlier.
In both incidents, a lone male was seen inside the temple at night, having seemingly gained entry through a glass door or window.
In the Harrow incident CCTV footage showed a single male in all grey, wearing a hooded coat and with his face covered, searching through the premises, although no suspect was found by the time police arrived.
He made off with a number of valuable items of jewellery, which appear to be made of gold.
In an incident on November 9 that police believe could be connected to this burglary, priests above the Shree Swaminarayan Temple, in Willesden Lane, were woken at around 2am by a crashing sound.
Collection boxes of donations from Diwali were found to be missing, along with a number of religious idols from the altar, of immense spiritual value to worshippers.
Umang Jeshani, a member of the temple’s committee, said: “The idols have been with us since 1975, when the temple first opened.
“They were handed down to us from our mother temple in Bhuj in Gujarat. They are used for rituals and have had huge impact on the Hindu community.
“We have had a lot of support from communities around the UK, it has hit the community quite hard, it’s quite a shock.”
However, he added: “We have done extra prayers, not only for the idols to return but also for the person who stole [them] too – if you think about it, they must be in a bad situation for them to do something like this.
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“We are keeping positive, maybe there is a higher meaning behind it. But we do want the idols back home.”
Police are asking for anyone who recognises O'Leary or knows anything about his whereabouts to get in touch.
Anyone with information can call police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
