SCOUT leaders at Westhoughton are counting the cost of a fire which ripped through their headquarters on Sunday night.

The wooden hut in Barn Hill, off Tithe Barn Street, was partly destroyed in the blaze, which is believed to have been started deliberately.

A quantity of camping equipment including tents and ropes were also destroyed.

The building belongs to St Bartholomew's Parish Church and is used by their scouts, cubs and beavers on three nights of the week.

They will now have to hold their meetings at the parish hall in Tithe Barn Street for the time being. Group Scout Leader, the Rev Toby Humphry, said the cost of the damage will not be known until after a visit by loss assessors today.

"We managed to salvage the flag and some equipment which was kept in another side of the building but most of the camping gear was kept in cabinets where the seat of the fire was," said Rev Humphry.

"What is particularly galling is that we've just done quite a lot of refurbishment work to make the building good, some of it carried out by the scouts themselves. Now we may have to start again."

Rev Humphry said that the main priority was to make the building secure to prevent any further loss until it can be repaired.

Last night the beavers had been scheduled to practise their cooking skills but the exercise had to be postponed because of the loss of equipment.

The leader said they may have to launch fund-raising activities to replace some items.

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