PARIS – The Veterans of Foreign Wars hall on East Main Street was illegally entered on Saturday night, with some property damaged, police said.

The break-in was noticed by members of a church that meets in the hall every Sunday, and reported to the Paris Police Department.

“They knew about it before I did,” said Myron Pierce, VFW quartermaster and finance officer.

Pierce said the burglars entered through an unlocked basement hatch and broke a lock off a cabinet on the first floor. A cabinet door in a bar used for VFW events was ripped off its hinges. Bottles of liquor were still in the cabinet, and Pierce said he is not aware of any stolen property. He said no money is kept in the building.

The VFW members meet once a month, though the hall is also used by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, driving classes and the church.

Pierce said the hatch has been locked in light of the incident.

“The goal now is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

He said a similar incident took place five or six years ago, with no major theft from the building.