The Great Facemask Robbery: Thieves steal 80,000 pieces of PPE intended for NHS and care home workers in £166,000 warehouse raid

Thieves have stolen 80,000 of protective facemasks intended for frontline NHS and care home workers in a £166,00 warehouse raid.  

Greater Manchester Police said they are hunting for the perpetrators, in what they described as a 'particularly sickening crime' given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The three vile burglars - two men and potentially one woman - were dressed in dark clothing when they broke into the site in Salford, Greater Manchester, between 9.30pm and 11.30pm last night.

They spent two hours loading the PPE – which was due to be given to NHS workers and carers – into three separate vehicles, a white Mercedes Sprinter van, a grey Volkswagen caddy van and a silver estate car.

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Pictured: A box of the type of masks stolen in the burglary intended for health professionals fighting the coronavirus pandemic

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The damage caused by thieves at the industrial site  in Salford, Greater Manchester, last night, after they broke the fixed shutter

DI Chris Mannion, from GMP Salford, said: 'It is striking how deliberate, calculated and targeted this incident was.

'The offenders were at the scene for around two hours, and no other items other than the PPE were stolen.

'This is a particularly sickening crime when you consider that the PPE was intended for the NHS and for care home workers, and at a time when we are trying to protect the NHS and one another against one common enemy – Covid-19.

'To know there are individuals out there who are prepared to steal the equipment that keeps the frontline workers and the vulnerable safe is quite frankly shocking.

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Boxes and other medical supplies were left strewn over the floor after the thieves made away with vital medical equipment needed for NHS staff and care workers

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The thieves stole eight similar sized pallets of masks in the raid and packed them into three vehicles

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Members of staff at assess the fixed shutter after the break in on Wednesday. Police are hunting the thieves who stole the life-saving protective equipment

'I am determined that we catch these perpetrators as soon as possible.

'I appeal to anyone with information, no matter how small, to do the right thing and contact the police.'

The PPE was due to be supplied to Yorkshire Council and Morgan Taylor, a Preston company which supplies to the NHS and care homes.

There is no clear CCTV of the incident and no indication the crime is linked to the previous theft of PPE from a healthcare facility in Salford.