It is thought that someone may have forced one of the locks and bent the cover to gain unauthorised access.
 
Subsequently, when an unauthorised commercial notice was removed by Edwin Rose, who looks after the noticeboards on behalf of the Reepham Society, he was allegedly confronted by a second person.
 
However, the police may be unable to take further action without an independent witness to the criminal damage. The locks have since been fixed.
 
The noticeboard, one of four around the town supplied and maintained by the Reepham Society, was replaced just weeks earlier at a cost of around £160, most of which was funded by the Town Council.
 
The new noticeboard includes a “post-box” on the back for submitting event notices, which will be posted if there is room. Priority will be given to notices about events or activities taking place within four weeks of the notice being submitted.
 
The Reepham Society points out that advertisements for activities or services for private commercial gain will not be accepted unless those activities take place in the Town Hall, the Bircham Centre, Stimpson’s Piece pavilion or one of the churches, from which the community derives income from hire fees.
 
Meanwhile, with most of the other boards old and rotting, a decision will need to be made soon on whether to replace these or possibly have just one central noticeboard somewhere in Market Place as has been suggested.
 
However, the Town Council may be understandably reluctant to fund new boards that can be damaged so easily by thoughtless individuals.
 
In other local crime news, between 23 and 27 May, thieves forced entry into a garage in Wood Dalling Road, Reepham, by smashing a window and removing 10 motorcycles. Another vehicle was also stolen from outside the premises, along with a trailer. The front gate had a thick metal chain removed.
 
On 25-26 May, thieves entered a field in Old Friendship Lane, Eastgate, and removed diesel from a tank.