Staffordshire Police is investigating the cause of a fire on the roof of a pharmacy in Stoke-on-Trent which its staff believe was started deliberately.

In a post on Facebook, Grahams Pharmacy in Ford Green Road said the blaze occurred on Tuesday night and damaged the inside of the store, although it was brought under control by fire-fighters.

The pharmacy said it was “open as normal” despite the suspected arson and urged customers to be patient while staff deal with the damage.

In what it described as “an upsetting post” on Facebook yesterday, Grahams Pharmacy said: “Unfortunately last night (Tuesday, August 20), we had a fire on our roof which we are led to believe was started deliberately. We were alerted to this around 2.30am on Wednesday morning.”

The pharmacy appealed for anyone with CCTV or other footage which might help identify the perpetrator to get in touch.

“Whilst the fire was kept under control quickly, it still caused us to have some damage to the inside the pharmacy,” the pharmacy said. “We appreciate your patience whilst we deal with this. Thank you. We are open as normal.”

Independent Community Pharmacist has contacted Staffordshire Police for comment.