South Korea jamboree: Yorkshire scouts move to Seoul

Scouts travelled from Sowerby, near Thirsk, to the jamboree

The mother of a scout who travelled to South Korea for the World Scout Jamboree said he was "disappointed but happy" after having to leave the site.

Sarah Short's son went to the event with Unit 41 Scout Group from Sowerby, North Yorkshire, at the end of July.

All UK scouts were moved from the site amid concerns over poor sanitation, flooding and high temperatures.

Now the whole site is being evacuated, with organisers saying it was due to an incoming tropical storm.

The forecast storm comes just days after hundreds at the camp fell ill in temperatures of 35C (95F).

Scouts board a bus to leave the campsite in Saemangeum

More than 40,000 young people from 155 countries attended the jamboree in Saemangeum, but the event faced criticism from the start.

UK Scouts chief executive Matt Hyde said the site posed a health risk.

"We have had to make the difficult choice of investing our money to ensure that these young people are safe, that is the right thing to do," he said.

More than 1,000 buses were at the site on Tuesday, ferrying scouts out of the campsite, escorted by helicopters and police cars.

The bus convoy began moving the scouts from Saemangeum at 09:00 local time (01:00 BST) on Tuesday to inland locations, including Seoul and its surrounding province of Gyeonggi.

The Sowerby scouts are now in hotels in Seoul, and are carrying on with activities including going to a local football match.

James Porter, assistant unit leader, is with the group in South Korea.

He said: "Our time in Seoul so far has been nothing far from extraordinary.

"The Korean people have taken extreme responsibility for what happened to us and the other contingents from around the world and have in return treated us with an immense amount of kindness and compassion."

He added the scouts had shown "remarkable responsibility, resilience, and courage".

He added: "Their unwavering commitment and ability to navigate the difficulties with grace and determination have left us in awe.

"We are confident that they will return home tired but immensely satisfied, knowing they have grown not only as individuals but also as a cohesive and strong Unit (41)."

One of the scouts, Tommy, is among those travelling with the group.

Tommy's mum said he sounded "really happy" despite moving from the site

His mum, Mrs Short, said: "Initially it was a bit of a disappointment that they had to leave, but that was totally the right decision, and this is just a different jamboree experience but in Seoul.

"I was concerned as a mum but I knew that they were in good hands.

"We have met the unit leaders, they have been on training camps over the last year, so I have total faith in them. I was never overly concerned."

Mrs Short added: "Tommy said to us, 'Mum, we've got the paparazzi following us!' The people in Seoul have been absolutely wonderful.

"He sounded really excited, the activities they have planned are amazing, it's the same jamboree but in a different place."

The scout group at Manchester Airport before they left the UK

Buses wait in a long line to transport participants leaving the campsite