Ramadan: Greater Manchester households warned over gold thefts

Family gold worth £1.1m has been stolen in burglaries in Greater Manchester since August

Muslim householders are being targeted by gold thieves while they visit relatives or attend prayers during Ramadan, police have warned.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said many of the items stolen were family heirlooms.

GMP had released CCTV of three masked men who broke into a house in Rochdale, ransacking rooms looking for gold.

The force said patrols had been stepped up during Ramadan and urged people to improve their security.

In one break-in, CCTV captured men in balaclavas brandishing screwdrivers as they went from room to room searching for gold jewellery.

'More vulnerable'

The homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, said his heart "dropped'" when he saw the footage and his home had been "violated".

"They went through everything," he said.

"They looked through cupboards, they flipped pillows over, sofa cushions, but they left computers and tablets. They were clearly looking for gold."

He said Muslims were becoming a "target" during Ramadan, the holy month which began on 11 March.

"There's a lot of word going round in the community of thieves entering homes looking for gold," he said.

"Muslim people go to pray at mosques five times a day (during Ramadan) and that just leaves the home more vulnerable."

PC Mohammed Latif said thieves were watching when people left their homes to go and pray

GMP said family gold worth about £1.1m had been stolen in burglaries in Greater Manchester since August.

The force has set up a burglary unit in Rochdale to combat gold thefts and has visited Muslim communities to warn of the problem.

PC Mohammed Latif said thieves were targeting households decorated for Ramadan and watched properties to see when residents left for evening prayers.

He said the valuables being stolen were "family heirlooms, passed from generation to generation" and difficult to put a monetary value on.

Officers advised homeowners to ensure doors and windows were locked, lights left on and any gold stored in a safe or away from the family home.

Ash Mahmood, 48, a pharmacy worker in Rochdale, said the police visits and increased patrols were important because Ramadan could be "a worrying time of the year".

"When we go to the mosque, we should be concentrating on our prayers, but in the back of your mind, you're thinking you've left your house empty and maybe someone is going to try and break in," he added.