A man suspected of being on monkey dust had to be restrained in a Stoke-on-Trent pharmacy before being tackled by staff. 

CCTV footage shows the man becoming increasingly agitated before flying into a terrifying rage. 

He is seen pacing up and down the Norfolk Street Pharmacy, in Hanley before barging behind the counter. 

Staff managed to wrestle the man to the ground and restrain him for 15 minutes before police arrived last Friday (26 September). 

Pharmacist Navid Kaleem says monkey dust is "destroying" the city and released the footage to raise awareness about the epidemic.

The psychoactive substance costs just £2 and can send addicts on days-long psychotic episodes.  

Navid, 45, said: "We were all so scared. Initially he was just singing some kind of poems and rhymes.  

"Then he said he was a soldier and I started trying to calm him down, asking about his school and if we went to the same one. 

"He then started to become more aggressive, monkey dust is very unpredictable. We had some patients that were terrified, so we had to be careful."

Monkey Dust — aka Zombie or Cannibal Dust, owing to its violent side effects — is an off-white powder that can be swallowed, injected or snorted. 

It was sold as a legal high but reclassified as a Class B drug in 2010. 

The psychoactive substance costs just £2 and can send addicts on days-long psychotic episodes.  

The pharmacy had to stop any other customers entering for their safety until the police arrived.

Navid added: "He decided to run towards the dispensary. Initially he's trying to go to the back part of the pharmacy to the consultation room.  

"He goes towards the dispensary towards two ladies sitting there and that's when we managed to restrain him. 

"We gave him water, we had to show compassion as he's someone else's brother and son.  

"These people need to be treated with compassion as well as firmness.  

"One of us was holding his hands down, one on his legs and I was holding his top part down."  

Navid, who opened his pharmacy in 2008, said monkey dust was making life hell for residents. 

He added: "This monkey dust, the people can be like the incredible Hulk with.  

"You get an extreme high and you don't feel pain. Stoke is an impoverished place and it's quite popular here.  

"It's a very unpredictable drug. Last year a topless man not too far from our pharmacy attacked a woman with a house brick - and he was high on monkey dust.  

"It's just a horrible drug." 

A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: "We are working proactively with partners and the number of successful outcomes from our drug referral programmes is increasing. 

"Nevertheless, we know there is more to do. We are committed to continuing to tackle all forms of addiction to create a healthier, cleaner city for everyone."