A POPULAR High Street pharmacy was broken into early this morning.

Police were called to Boots in Halstead following scenes of two people breaking into the shop in the early hours of the morning.

Eyewitness, James Mayes, was walking to work with his father Walter at around 5.16am this morning when he saw the disruption.

He said: "When me and my dad went passed WHSmith we saw two people with a bag between.

"They ran for one of the alleyways beside the store and as we went closer to Boots we saw the front doors wide open with anti smoke.

"When my dad went closer there was cosmetics all over the floor and the glass cabinet was smashed."

James' father, Walter, called the police.

Boots is now open, however the automatic door is not working and appears to have been forced open.

In the shop the perfume cabinet is smashed with part of the shop cornered off.

Councillor, Mrs Jacqueline Pell, said: "It's distressing and people feel unsafe.

"To break into a chemist, it makes you wonder what were they after?

"If they were after medication it's frightening, it's not something you toy with. If they were after perfumes and razors, either way it's not necessary.

"Even if there was more police on the streets this happened in the early hours of the morning so police wouldn't be sat waiting for it to happen."

The Gazette have contacted Essex Police for a comment.