THIEVES broke into a chemist in Accrington in the early hours of yesterday, and made away with a quantity of prescription drugs.

The Co-operative Pharmacy in Brown Street was closed for the night when raiders broke in.

The police have yet to establish how they got in entry.

All the stolen medication was prescription-only, rather than over-the-counter remedies, and police have warned the drugs could be harmful. The exact types of drugs have not been released.

Police are asking anyone who finds any discarded medication to hand it in immediately to the nearest police station or pharmacy.

A spokesperson for The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: “A quantity of prescription medication was stolen from our pharmacy on Brown Street in Accrington in the early hours of January 30.

“Safety is our highest priority and if anyone finds the discarded medicines, we would urge them to take them to their local police station or pharmacy.

“The police are investigating and the NHS Area Team and the relevant healthcare professionals have been notified.”

A police spokesperson said: “Police were called in the early hours of this morning to reports that there had been a break in at the Co-op pharmacy and a small amount of prescription medication had been taken.

“An investigation is underway and officers are trying to establish exactly how and when the offenders have gained entry.

“If anyone has noticed any suspicious activity in the area recently or if anyone has any other information they think could be relevant to the investigation then we would ask them to call police on 101 quoting log number LC-20140130-0131.

“Similarly, anyone who finds any prescription medication should hand it in to police or to their nearest pharmacy as soon as possible.”