ROME (Reuters) - Italy's art police have seized ancient books and paintings worth 650,000 euros (453,000 pounds) from the house of a man they suspect stole them from public libraries and state archives -- sometimes disguised as a priest.

Police said on Monday the suspect, a Roman in his mid-forties, would dress himself in priest's robes or wait for hours hidden in the bathrooms and cupboards of libraries to make off with texts and drawings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The man used ink remover to delete identification numbers and library stamps, police said, adding they suspect he was responsible of a series of thefts in Rome and Turin.

Some items were sold to collectors in Italy and abroad.