Scouts club 'relieved' after stolen trailer found

The trailer - pictured being driven by the group - will cost about £2,000 to replace, Charnwood District Scouts said

A Scouts club says it is relieved after its stolen trailer was found the day after it was stolen.

Charnwood District Scouts said two men wearing hi-vis jackets broke into its premises in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, on Wednesday night.

The group feared it was watched by the culprits, who waited for them to leave before stealing the vehicle, which would have cost about £2,000 to replace.

Carol Black, Cub Scouts leader, said the trailer was found in a lay-by in Hathern, about eight miles away, on Thursday.

Ms Black said she believed the theft was planned, as members left the club shortly after 21:30 GMT - and by 22:00 "the trailer was gone".

The trailer, used to transport equipment for day trips, camping and other experiences for up to 1,000 children, was empty at the time and had been "securely stored", Ms Black added.

Ms Black said she had "never seen anything like" the theft of the vehicle in her 20-year tenure

A neighbour, who witnessed the theft, told the group he saw the men breaking a padlock to the property, ignoring his calls to stop, before leaving with the trailer.

"He shouted at them and they just put their hoods up and carried on," Ms Black added.

"They must have been stood there watching us - it makes me feel a bit uneasy to be honest."

Ms Black said that at about 12:00 on Thursday, she was called by a friend and Leicestershire Police, who had located the trailer in the lay-by.

She said: "I'm just relieved - we're not going to have to find another trailer."

Police previously asked anyone with information about suspicious activity in the area of The Green in Mountsorrel, to get in touch with them.