Vandalism to the toilet block at Ford Park in Merimbula is being investigated by local police. The damage was discovered last week with what appears to have been a fire deliberately started inside the amenities block, causing considerable damage to the floor and wall, as well as smoke and heat damage throughout. The Bega Valley Shire Council has reported the incident to local police. "Vandalism is an unnecessary drain on public funds and resources to investigate and repair, not to mention the simple fact the facilities are closed and not able to be used," a council spokesperson said. "We've had enough damage to shire infrastructure through natural disasters - intentional damage is a further burden to our list of expenses. "Whoever is doing this, whether one person or a group, should understand that money spent to repair needless vandalism comes from our general fund. "Vandalism takes money and resources away from maintenance and other public projects, to spend on unnecessary repairs." IN OTHER NEWS: Council estimated that vandalism costs it around $10,000-plus per year. "However, the cost hard to measure and it is very likely to be higher as repair work is undertaken as 'business as usual' by our maintenance crews." Anyone with information regarding these acts of vandalism should report it to Bega Police on 6492 9999 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.