Buddha statue stolen from temple in Edinburgh
- Published
A Buddha statue has been stolen from an Edinburgh temple.
The metre high statue was taken from Dhammapadipa Temple in Slateford Road between 20:00 on Friday and 15:45 on Saturday.
Police Scotland said it was treating the theft as a hate crime and urged anyone with information to come forward.
The religious object is is made of a lightweight material, similar to fibreglass.
'Symbol of peace'
PC Simon Wotton, of Police Scotland, said: "Local members of the Buddhist community who use the temple are extremely disappointed by this theft and we are currently progressing a number of lines of inquiry to identify the suspects and return the statue.
"Anyone who remembers seeing anything suspicious around the Dhammapadipa Temple between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon should contact police immediately.
"We would also urge anyone who knows where we can find the stolen statue to get in touch."
Wisanupong Thipra, the Dhammapadipa Temple's resident Buddhist monk, said: "Our community is deeply saddened by the mindless actions of a small few who have removed and stolen our Buddha statue from its home in our front garden.
"Our statue is our symbol of peace and mindfulness which we give respect to every day with prayers and meditation.
"We thank Police Scotland and our neighbours for the support we have received in response to this criminal act."