The town clerk of Diss has slammed burglars who caused 'wilful destruction' of council property and left a £2,000 repair bill.

The break-in happened at the town council offices in Market Hill last Thursday when the burglars forced their way into the building through a rear downstairs window, but they did not take anything even though lap tops and other valuable goods were present in some of the offices.

The door to the office safe was also broken and the stationery cupboard was left in a messy state.

Town clerk Deborah Sarson said: 'This break-in, which has resulted in approximately £2,000 worth of damage, appears to be wilful destruction of council property for no apparent gain, given that nothing was taken.

'Apart from causing considerable disruption, it appears to have been a pointless exercise which has been very frustrating.

'The council is working with its insurers to instigate repairs and is reviewing its security in light of this incident.'

Sarah Richards, the deputy town clerk, said the burglars could have been distracted by a noise, which resulted in them leaving empty handed.

On Tuesday, she said some smaller repairs had already been carried out, but the bigger tasks, including the safe door, needed to be sorted.

Nearby residents were not in at the time and did not hear anything when the incident took place between 5.30pm on Thursday and 6.05am the following day.

PC Peter Partridge, from Diss police, said: 'I would like the public to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity in the area and uniformed officers will undertake extra high visibility patrols in the area as reassurance for the local community.

'I would remind people that nothing of high value is ever stored in this building.

'If the public sees anything suspicious, they should not hesitate in calling 999.'

Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC Partridge on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Are burglaries becoming a problem in Diss? Email dma.letters@archant.co.uk.