This is the shocking moment a woman can be seen appearing to steal shoes from a Sikh temple while their owners prayed upstairs.
The footage is from the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend, Kent on January 12.
It shows a woman sat on a bench before she seems to fill a carrier bag with worshiper’s shoes and rushes out of the temple.
The video was posted on Facebook by a number of accounts, though it appears to have been from the CCTV footage at the Guru Nanak Darbar Gudwara.
According to comments on social media, the woman was apparently aided by another person.
The footage shows the woman sitting on a bench and taking off her own shoes.
After a brief pause, she jumps to her feet and starts scanning the shoe racks.
The woman can be seen appearing to take shoes belonging to worshipers off the rack and then stashing them into a carrier bag
In a Sikh temple, worshipers typically leave their shoes in the rack while they go into another room to pray.
The woman seems to put two pairs of shoes belonging to worshipers into her carrier bag.
Bizarrely, she then puts her own shoes on a rack and rushes away from the scene.
In a post on its Facebook page, the Kent temple confirmed the theft.
It also confirmed that Sewadars, the name given to volunteers at the temple, informed the police after seeing CCTV footage.
The post read: ‘We would like to update you on a recent incident that took place at our Guru Ghar (home). On the evening of Friday 12 January, two pairs of shoes were taken from the ladies shoe area on the ground floor of the Gurdwara.
After putting two pairs of shoes into her bag, the woman rushed away from the shoe racks but bizarrely left her own shoes there
‘A report was logged with Gurdwara Sewadars who checked CCTV footage and filed a report with local police. The CCTV footage helped Sewadars to identify the culprits the very next day.
‘By 1pm on Saturday 13 January, less than 24 hours since the incident had taken place, the police had been called to the Gurdwara, one pair of shoes had been returned and the other pair followed later the same day.
‘The pair responsible for the theft were already known to the police, they were given a community charge and banned from the Guru Ghar. We would like to ask that the Sangat (community) continue to be vigilant and cooperate with Gurdwara Sewadars while we work to safeguard the Sangat and our Guru Ghar.’
The footage is from the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend, Kent and was recorded on January 12
The apparent theft provoked a strong reaction on social media.
Rachel Horrigan said: ‘That’s absolutely disgusting! I can’t believe that someone wood stoop so low. I have always been so welcome when I have been to the temple.’
Dave Butcher said: ‘That is so nasty. Why would someone do that? I bet if she had asked, the temple would have helped. That I am sure of.’
Darren Randle commented: ‘To steal from a place that welcomes everyone without judgement is beyond belief. It makes it considerably worse that anyone could contemplate stealing from a sacred place of worship. Sad times.’