Thieves used a sledgehammer and crowbar to "smash" through a Derbyshire pharmacy's door and target its diazepam stock, C+D has learned.

Burglars entered Brimington Pharmacy on Church Street in Brimington during the early hours of June 19 and stole prescription drugs from the medicines counter, Derbyshire Police said.

Pharmacist Mark Thompson told C+D that it had been a "very targetted attack" on the pharmacy's entire stock of "40 to 50" boxes of diazepam. "They left things like codeine, which was very close [to the diazepam], so we suspect they knew what to take," he said today (June 24).

Staff had initially been "shocked and apprehensive" after the break-in, which had left the floor "covered in glass". “One of my staff had to come in the following day on their own to open up in the dark. They were obviously very nervous,” he said.

But the team had "knuckled through and got on with" serving patients, Mr Thompson stressed. The diazepam stock would cost less than £30 to replace, but repairing the door would cost the pharmacy "about £150", he added.

Derbyshire Police urged anyone who had information about the burglary, which took place between 2.30am and 2.45am, to contact PC Lee Welsby on 101, quoting crime reference 25760/15. They could also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, police added.

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