SCOUTS who spent five years fundraising to buy their own tents have been left devastated after the equipment was stolen.

More than 100 Scouts, Cubs and Beavers from the Frampton Cotterell Group are this week without their treasured camping gear after thieves broke into the Scout hut.

An estimated £2,000-worth of equipment has gone missing and £1,000-worth of damage was caused by the break-in on Sunday night.

Scout leader Chris Harris told the Gazette that the theft of 15 top quality tents was a big disappointment for the Scouts.

He said: "We had 60 nights of camping organised for this year and this just messes that up entirely. Scouts from Germany and France are booked on flights to come over and camp with us in England in March, but at the moment they have no tents to sleep in.

"The tents are insured and this will sort itself out but it is particularly frustrating because the Scouts raised the money for the tents themselves."

He said that over a five-year period the youngsters had held various fundraising events such as a car wash and jumble sales.

Mr Harris discovered the break-in when he turned up for a Scout meeting on Monday night. The youngsters had to be sent home from their weekly meet at the hut on Woodend Road and the police were called.

As well as the missing tents, including a £300 mountain tent used by the Scouts during their Duke of Edinburgh award training, the hut itself has been left in a state of disarray.

Toughened glass on the windows was smashed and some camping lamps were mindlessly destroyed.

Insp Keith Farrow told the Gazette: "The Scout hut was broken into at 11am on Sunday morning but was not discovered until 7pm the next day. We have had a series of thefts on sheds and garages in the Frampton Cotterell area and believe this crime may be connected."

He also appealed to the public for help. "Somebody must know who is committing these crimes and we believe it is local people who are doing it. This case is particularly sad because the equipment taken was donated by families and through charitable means which means it will be harder for the community to replace them," he added.

The tents have Outdoor, Hydra and Delta labels and are light blue with yellow guy ropes.

Added Mr Harris: "We just want to get the message around and hopefully find them.

"We just hope that the thieves cannot get rid of the tents very easily if local people know about this."

This is the first attack on the Scout hut for several years sector deputy Sgt Andy McIlrath said there had been a spate of similar crimes in the village during the past few weeks.

He said: "We would remind people that this type of offence is happening in both Frampton Cotterell and Coalpit Heath.

"People should lock their gates and secure any sheds and report any suspicious activity to the police."