On Monday morning, extensive damage was discovered in Sandbekkhallen in Rælingen municipality.
– An unauthorized person entered during the weekend, and committed vandalism by throwing furniture and objects into the pool. An attempt was made to set fire to paper inside a toilet, and then a sink was blocked and water was turned on, says Linda Haugen to VG.
She is unit manager for property in Rælingen municipality, and says that the vandalism was discovered by the cleaners in the hall on Monday morning.
– It was probably a shocking sight for them. It is very sad when this happens, says Haugen.
Romerikes Blad mentioned the matter first.
Nothing was spared
Sandbekkhallen, which is next to Sandbekken secondary school, consists of a multi-purpose hall and a swimming hall with a 25-metre long pool.
– Has anything been saved, or has “everything” been thrown into the pool?
– It looks like everything has been thrown into the pool, replies Haugen.
This includes, among other things, a barbecue, furniture, and loads of equipment intended for swimming training.
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Haugen says that she thinks there is extensive damage to the furniture, but that it was better for her in the toilet.
– There is a dustbin that has melted a little, and some burnt toilet paper is on the floor – no serious damage, says Haugen.
May have used emergency exit
The East police district was also notified of the incident on Monday morning.
– Only the swimming pool and associated changing rooms are affected, says operations manager Ronny Samuelsen to Romerikes Blad. He adds that all the doors must have been locked, and that one theory is that someone may have entered via an emergency exit.
Samuelsen also states that the police have carried out a crime scene investigation and will investigate the matter further.
– It is described as extensive damage, says Samuelsen to Romerikes Blad.
Unit leader Haugen himself has no theory about who could be behind it, or about how the perpetrator or people got into the swimming pool.
The swimming pool has recently been closed due to a broken pump, Rælingen municipality writes on its website Homepage.
Haugen cannot say anything about when it will be cleaned up after the vandalism, or when the swimming pool can reopen.
As of Monday afternoon, the municipality has left things alone, so that the police have been able to carry out investigations, says Haugen.
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