A West Yorkshire pharmacy team has been left quite ‘shaken up’ after a robbery at knifepoint occurred in their pharmacy in broad daylight.

The robbery took place on the afternoon of Friday 3 August at Heath Pharmacy in Halifax, where quantities of methadone and diazepam were stolen, according to West Yorkshire police.

 

‘Quite shaken up’

 

Pharmacy manager Amanda Smith told The Pharmacist today (7 August) that the team was ‘quite shaken up’ after the incident as ‘it wasn’t what we were expecting’.

She said: ‘He just walked in and came straight into the back and was quite covered up.

‘He had a scarf over his head and was wearing a hoody and a big long coat […], holding a knife.’

Ms Smith said that the man told them to open the drugs cabinet from which he took some drugs before putting them in his carrier bag.

‘He wanted the cash from the till so we gave him that – around £40’, Ms Smith said. There ‘wasn’t much to take’, she explained, as the team had been to the bank in the morning.

 

‘Potentially dangerous’

 

According to West Yorkshire Police, the suspect is an Asian male around 5ft 8ins tall and of large build – which could be due to him wearing extra clothes. He was wearing a dark traditional Asian dress and a brown, chequered scarf, police said.

Calderdale district criminal investigation department (CID) detective inspector Gary Stephenson said: ‘It is a concern when any prescription medication is stolen as it can potentially be dangerous if taken other than recommended by healthcare professionals.

‘We would urge anyone offered such drugs to report it to the police as a matter of urgency.’

Information can be passed to Calderdale District CID via 101, quoting crime reference 13180384088, or by using the 101 Live Chat facility on the West Yorkshire Police website.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.