A Wellington pharmacy has been robbed at knife-point twice in six days.
file photo Photo: 123RF
The Queen Street pharmacy in Upper Hutt was robbed just before 11 this morning by a man in his 40s with a craft knife who took prescription medicine.
It was also robbed on Sunday evening just after 7pm by a man wielding a large knife, who also took prescription medicine.
The store's co-owner of four years Brooke McKay said they had never been robbed before and to be hit twice in one week was unusual.
"I think you just have to trust that they'll catch the guy. I mean it's pretty unusual for this to happen so it's obviously pretty desperate times."
The employees who were working at the time were shaken up but doing well, she said.
"We've sent them home for the day, but they're both doing really well, as well as you can expect after a situation like that.
"After the first robbery we had a chat to all the staff and made sure everyone knew what to do and what services were available. We hoped it wouldn't happen again but obviously it has so they're pretty shaken up."
Ms McKay said she was not sure if it was the same man who committed both robberies.
"Police are working on all of that but it definitely seems a bit suspect for it never to happen and then two in the space of a week."
The store had reopened and it was business as usual, she said.
"We're an after-hours service so you shut for a couple of hours in the middle of the day and the backlog gets up. We could close but that means the public has to pay for someone else's stupid decision."
Police said the public could expect a heavier than usual police presence over the next few days.
In relation to today's robbery they are looking for a man described as in his 40s, about 178cm tall, wearing grey tracksuit pants and a grey hoodie with a grey checked scarf around his face.
He is believed to have left the area either riding or pushing a bike.
