Mosque in Manchester targeted by vandals, £30,000 damage reported

Elaf Masjid in Cheadle Heath, Stockport, was broken into overnight after Eid al-Fitr celebrations, with intruders looting and vandalising the building.

“Shock, anger and fear have swept through the Muslim community in Manchester after intruders broke into a mosque, looting and vandalising the building”

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CCTV captured the suspect approaching the mosque, damaging the security system and tripping the power circuit.

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Windows, the front door and a lockbox were damaged, and about £5,000 in cash donations were stolen along with a newly installed sound system worth over £6,000.

Qur’ans were thrown onto the floor and a bookshelf containing Qur’ans was damaged, while children’s classrooms were ransacked and toys scattered.

The total damage is estimated to exceed £30,000, and the break-in was reported this morning after being discovered at around 6am; forensic investigators were at the scene and GMP said officers were reviewing CCTV after the burglary on Stockport Road in Cheadle Heath, Stockport, citing log 594-21/3/26.

The attack has provoked shock and fear in the local Muslim community, coming the morning after Eid al-Fitr when the mosque had hosted large numbers of families and children.

Ben Pickering, who found the damage at 5:23am, said the incident caused significant distress within the community and heightened fears amid rising Islamophobia in Britain.

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Dr Junayed Ahmed, a regular worshipper, said they feel targeted for being Muslim, but police have not confirmed whether it is a hate crime; GMP told the Manchester Evening News that they are not treating the incident as a hate crime at this stage.

A fundraiser was set up by Ben Pickering on behalf of the mosque with an initial target of £7,500, and by the time of the article more than £4,600 had been raised to support repairs and replacements.

“Shock, anger and fear have swept through the Muslim community in Manchester after intruders broke into a mosque, looting and vandalising the building”

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All funds will go toward repairing damage, replacing stolen or damaged items, and improving security systems.

GMP said officers in Stockport have stepped up patrols and are reviewing CCTV, with a scene at the location and officers remaining there today.

Forensic investigators were seen at the mosque on Saturday as the investigation continued.

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