POLICE are attempting to catch a hardened criminal who stole a stash of Viagra from a Hervey Bay chemist.

Staff from the Chemist Warehouse on Main Street contacted police on Monday after the offender took off with an unknown quantity of the drug about 12.30pm.

A police spokesman said the crime turned out to be a flop, after officers attended the scene and were able to identify a suspect on the store's CCTV footage.

Police are now making attempts to catch the crook, but say it shouldn't be too hard.