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Vandals force Derby Visitor Centre closure

The Derby Visitor Centre was forced to close for 24 hours last week after an attempted break-in caused $2000 damage.

Centre general manager Jenny Kloss said she arrived at work last Monday morning to find the front door damaged and the glass shattered.

She said it was unclear whether the offenders were attempting to break into the centre or were just committing deliberate vandalism.

As a result, the centre closed on Monday.

"We couldn't open (the visitor centre), it was too dangerous to open," she said.

Derby Police Station officer-in-charge Dave Dench said while the incident was disappointing, youth crime had decreased in the town at a time when offences usually climb.

"This sort of wanton damage has had a significant impact on the visitor centre and we are pursuing lines of inquiry in relation to who is responsible," he said.

"Having said that, we have gone against the wet season trend during the school holidays when we usually see a significant spike in juvenile crime.

"For the months of December and January, we have kept that very much under control. While this incident was disappointing, our juvenile rates of offending are much less than they were at the same time last year."

Mrs Kloss said the temporary closure meant visitors were unable to access important tourist information.

She estimated damage costs to be around $2000 to the Shire building, which would come out of the centre's budget because the Shire's insurance excess was $5000.

"It's just a useless thing to do," she said. "You get very despondent.

"We are very proud of the visitor centre up here."

Mrs Kloss said a similar incident happened 12 months ago and the centre would now seriously consider looking into CCTV equipment.

"It's frustrating," she said. "It's just a senseless act of vandalism."

The door was temporarily secured with a wooden board until new glass arrived.