A 26-year-old man has now admitted burgling the Sikh temple in Gravesend where a safe containing about £10,000 was stolen.

Eleazar Allert had denied the offence when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court in July.

But he changed his plea when he appeared again this week.

He will be sentenced after the trial on April 6 next year of Leeroy Reynolds, 34, of Goddard Way, Ilford, north east London, who has denied the charge.

The Siri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Saddington Street was broken into in the early hours of June 24.

Prosecutor Iestyn Morgan said the safe was found. Two others alleged to have been involved had not been caught.

“I am told it is the largest Sikh temple in Europe,” he added.

Allert, of Myrtle Road, Walthamstow, east London, has been remanded in custody.

Tarsem Singh Mahil, general secretary of the Gravesend Gurdwara said after the break-in: “It was a great shock to us all. Somebody must have known where the money is all kept to do this, but we do no believe it was anything to do with race.

“Three charity money boxes were broken into, the treasury office was broken into and the safe and some cash taken.”

The kitchen window on the ground floor was smashed.