The New British Dispensary in St John Street, Valletta was burgled on Tuesday night and the thief or thieves made off with cash, beauty products and syringes.

An employee was baffled when, on reporting for work yesterday morning, she found the cash register missing although the dispensary's shutter had been closed.

It was later discovered that whoever broke into the pharmacy had first climbed onto the first-floor balcony and, after opening one of the shutters, went inside and then downstairs to the dispensary. The intruder or intruders left in the same way. Apart from the cash register, which contained about €1,000 in cash, the haul included perfumes and lipstick, apart from a number of syringes.

A spokesman for the dispensary said no drugs were missing, adding that it was realised yesterday that a close circuit camera mounted on the wall in the street where the pharmacy is located was knocked off some days ago.

A report was made to the police who are investigating.