Horowhenua council building's front doors vandalised

Horowhenua District Council building in Levin had its front doors vandalised.

Horowhenua District Council's main building in Levin has had its main doors vandalised overnight on Sunday.

The automated glass doorway was rendered inaccessible, with wooden panels fixed over the damaged area.

A council spokesperson said a person had been charged in relation to the vandalism after a member of the public saw the incident taking place and called police.

The person appears to have focused on damaging the drive mechanism of the doors, along with its guides, rollers and controls, the spokesperson said.

An alternative access door to the right of the main doors has had to be opened for public use due to the damage.

The council has also had to allocate customer service staff to monitoring it and providing assistance to members of the public who may need it, due to the temporary access not being automatic.

The spokesperson said the incident was before the courts so there was minimal information that could be provided about the alleged offender, or the motive for the vandalism.

Contractors had assessed the damage and the council was waiting for quotes for repairs.

The cost to ratepayers was not yet known although comments on a Facebook post by the council about the incident drew expressions of dismay from local residents concerned at the potential cost.