THE owner of an Indian restaurant in Newport is offering a £2,000 reward after his premises was burgled while he was on a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Police in Maindee are hunting two thieves who burgled the Koh-i-Noor restaurant on Chepstow Road and raided the safe which contained two weeks takings.

Two men broke in through an upstairs window and stole an estimated £6,500 in cash overnight on the morning of Friday, 25 July.

Now the restaurant's owner, Tahir Ullah, who lives in Maindee and is head of the Shahporan Bangladeshi Mosque on Hereford Street, has offered the reward for information leading to the arrest of the burglars.

Mr Ullah said: "About two weeks money was taken during the burglary. There is about £6,500 which has gone. They forced open the upstairs door, and broke the lock using a hammer or something, that they then used to open the safe.

"I had been away to Mecca in Saudi for two weeks, and came back to find this has happened. It is terrible, and I want them caught so am prepared to put up this reward of £2,000 for any information that leads to them being caught."

The Koh-i-Noor is one of Newport's longest running and popular curry houses and is featured in numerous good curry guides.

Mr Ullah revealed that following an earlier burglary at the restaurant in 1999, he had installed CCTV cameras and police are currently examining the footage from the burglary.

Mr Ullah said: "I have seen the footage.

"There are two people on there and it looks quite clear. I just hope that someone knows something and we can find the people responsible."

A police spokesman said: "Inquiries into the burglary are ongoing, and we would welcome information from anyone regarding this incident."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Maindee police station on 01633 246999.

On the same night the King Balti on Corporation Road was burgled. Police believe the two are connected.