Dejected Venture Scouts in Chelmsford are cursing their luck after the hut they met in once a week was burned to the ground.

The fire comes just a month after £750 worth of equipment was stolen by raiders at the Baddow Road site and the group are now meeting elsewhere because of ongoing problems with vandalism.

It is the final straw for the group, whose members are aged between 15 and 20, who will also have to put off plans for summer expeditions if they cannot find funds to replace the stolen equipment.

Police are treating the blaze in the early hours of Sunday morning as suspicious and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

A spokesman for Chelmsford police said a worried resident had called the emergency services at 1.10am when she saw smoke coming from the building.

Two fire engines from Great Baddow attended the blaze but the building had been completely gutted.

"A witness heard what she believed to be a moped driving away from it and we would be very keen to hear from anybody else who may have seen that, or anything else, to contact us," the spokesman added.

But the fire is just the latest blow for the group who have now been forced to withdraw all Scouts and Venture Scout meetings.

District Venture Scout leader Trevor Sutton said the divisional commander had decided the hut was no longer a safe place for them to meet.

"We stopped the scout classes a while ago and they now meet at Meadgate where the Venture Scouts also now meet as of two weeks ago.

"It is such a shame there will no longer be a scout group in that area, I cannot imagine who could do such a thing.

"There are no real plans to return to Great Baddow because we are not sure whether the situation will ever improve enough," added Mr Sutton.

Last month thieves made off with camping gear including four hiking tents and cooking equipment.

Anyone with any information can contact DC Kirk at Chelmsford CID on 01245 491212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

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