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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Rebecca Speare-Cole

Manhunt after pair 'lick hands and contaminate products' in Sainsbury's amid coronavirus crisis

Police are searching for two young men (Picture: PA)

Police are hunting for two men who reportedly licked their hands in a supermarket before wiping them over meat, fresh produce and fridge handles amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The pair entered the Sainsbury's store in Lancaster Road, Morecambe, at about 1.45pm on Saturday, where they contaminated food products, police said.

Although the store was thoroughly disinfected, the food had to be destroyed.

Inspector James Martin, of Lancashire Police, said: "That anyone could think this sort of behaviour is appropriate or amusing even in normal times is beyond me, but at this time of crisis when many people have been faced with empty shelves in some shops is flabbergasting.

Police said the pair licked their hands and wiped them over meat, fresh produce and fridge handles (PA)

"It is utterly despicable and I would appeal for anyone who knows who these people are to get in touch.

Police said one of the men is described as aged in his early 20s, white, with black hair, and wearing a black jacket, black tracksuit bottoms and grey trainers.

Police issued CCTV images of the pair (PA)

The other is also in his early 20s, white, also with dark hair, wearing a black jacket, white hooded top, black tracksuit bottoms and hiking boots.

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting log number 0693 of April 4.

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