Sudden scout hut closure 'disgusting', parents say

Neil Duckett's children Toula [L] and Joe [R] have used the scout hut for eight years

A building used by more than 100 scouts, guides and other groups every night of the week has been closed with no notice, in a move described as "disgusting" by families.

The scout hut in Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex, had eviction notices posted on its doors on Tuesday, saying the lease had been forfeited and the premises seized.

The Scout Association said the 1970s brick building suffered from subsidence, and it was understood the landlord had claimed the association had not properly maintained the building.

The BBC has tried to reach the building's landlord for comment.

Neil Duckett, whose two children attend groups at the hut, said it had "a huge community feel".

"To hear that it's suddenly been padlocked is terrible, disgusting really," he added.

His daughter, girl guide Toula, 12, said the closure was "really upsetting".

The Scout Association said the hut had been home to the 3rd Thorpe-le-Soken Scouts for the last 38 years, and has 12 years to run on its current lease.

The hut also hosts meetings of brownies, rainbows, beavers, cubs and squirrels.

The scout hut in Thorpe-le-Soken was purpose-built in the 1970s

Marie Snell, whose son Dexter attends Cubs at the hut, said it was "an integral part of the community"

Another scout, 11-year-old Matthew, said he looked forward to going there.

"Every week on a Friday I come down here, I love it all the time - it's sad to see it shut down," he told the BBC.

Marie Snell, whose two sons attend beavers and cubs, said the hut provided "a vital service".

"It's awful because it's such an integral part of the community," she said, adding it would be "a massive shame" to lose it.

Dan Land, chairman of Thorpe-le-Soken Parish Council, said the closure gave him "a lot of cause for concern".

"This [closure] doesn't appear to be reasonable," he said.

"The children are going to be the main people that are going to be very disadvantaged."

Gates to the garden at the side of the Scout hut have been padlocked shut

The Scout Association told the BBC there was "an ongoing… claim being processed by our insurers" with regards to the 1970s brick-built hut, which is affected by subsidence.

"The landlord has restricted our access to the building by changing the locks," a spokesperson for The Scouts said.

The spokesperson added certain maintenance works could not be carried out until the subsidence had been addressed.

The Scouts said the groups would hold their meetings at a different location.

The BBC has made repeated efforts to contact the landlord for comment.

Dan Land, chairman of Thorpe-le-Soken Parish Council, said the closure gave him "a lot of cause for concern"