Fire 'devastating' for scout group, police say

Emergency services put a cordon in place

A "devastating" fire at a former scouts hut in Devon has destroyed "huge amounts" of equipment, police say.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service were called to the hut at the Imperial Recreation Ground in Exmouth earlier due to a "potential presence of a small quantity of propane cylinders".

Exmouth Police said the heat of the fire also affected nearby containers and had melted a number of kayaks.

A cordon was put in place while the fire was ongoing. The blaze has now been extinguished and the cordon has been removed.

Exmouth Police said that - although a new scout hut was already being built - the 5th Exmouth sea scouts had "lost their home".

Thick black smoke rose over the town

In a post on social media, the force added: "The heat of the fire also affected nearby containers containing their kayaks and has melted a number of them.

"This is devastating for them and the youths in our community that they support."

The fire service has confirmed no propane cylinders were involved in the blaze.