DETECTIVES are on the hunt for a drug thief who smashed his way into a Wigan chemist with a sledgehammer.
More than a £1,000 worth of damage was caused to the shop front of Boots in the night time raid on the Gerard Centre in Ashton.
Police are now appealing for witnesses after the offender made off with a number of ready made prescriptions from behind the store’s counter.
Det Insp Anne Scott of Wigan CID said: “Luckily no-one was in the store at the time of the incident but the offender has created a lot of damage and stolen dozens of prescriptions.
“We would like to hear from anyone in the area in the early hours on Monday morning and if they saw anyone acting suspiciously or witnessed the incident.”
The offender is described as being 5ft 11in tall, of average build and wearing a khaki green waist length jacket, dark jeans, a black beanie hat and was carrying a green plastic bag.
Having approached the shopping centre from the direction of Warrington Road and Heath Lane at around 2.20am, he then dropped his jacket on the floor in front of the store and smashed through the glass doors with the sledgehammer.
Police said that he was in possession of a crowbar that was also concealed under his clothing.
A Boots spokesman said that the store’s front had been repaired and the shop is open to customers.
He said: “We can confirm that a break-in took place on the morning of Monday 14 January at our store at the Gerard Centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield.
“The store continues to trade as normal and we are currently assisting the police with their investigations.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Wigan CID on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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