Bognor scout hut fire is ‘devastating’

THE destruction of the main scouting hub for the Bognor area because of fire has been called ‘simply devastating’.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Sep 2015, 15:28 BST

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The entire interior has been badly damaged by fire and smokeThe entire interior has been badly damaged by fire and smoke
The entire interior has been badly damaged by fire and smoke

The Bognor Regis District scouting headquarters caught fire on Sunday evening and the blaze tore through the building.

The interior has been completed decimated by smoke and fire, along with most of its contents including old scout flags, badgers, trophies, computers and clothes being collected for charity.

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The metal structure of the portacabin has also been badly damaged and will be examined further.

The damaged building, just off Central Drive, North Bersted, with bags of clothes for charity outside which are ruinedThe damaged building, just off Central Drive, North Bersted, with bags of clothes for charity outside which are ruined
The damaged building, just off Central Drive, North Bersted, with bags of clothes for charity outside which are ruined

The building, located just off Central Drive in North Bersted, was only opened in May 2013 after much fundraising and hard work from the scouts and the local community.

“It’s not even been open for three years, it’s simply devastating,” said a visibly upset Ally Dodd, district commissioner for Bognor Scouts today.

“We held the scout shop here and stored all the uniforms and badges, nearly all them have been destroyed.

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“As our headquarters were held all our meetings there. It’s something the district wanted for years, we finally got it and now we’ve lost it.”

The scorched wooden signThe scorched wooden sign
The scorched wooden sign

The main building which is the home of the 11th Bognor Scouts was unaffected by last night’s fire, which began some time before 6pm.

It is not known yet how the fire started but a neighbour is said to have raised the alarm.

Ally said: “Someone in the local neighbourhood phoned the fire brigade so we’re eternally grateful to them.

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“The fire service we absolutely fantastic and we have to be grateful that no one was hurt, that is the main thing.”

Severe smoke damageSevere smoke damage
Severe smoke damage

Amongst the contents damaged were a large number of bags full of recycled clothes which the scouts had been collecting as part of their Phil the Bag charity fundraising.

Dave Shimell, district quartermaster, added: “It’s not just the fabric of the building but everything that was inside.

“It took us a long time to get it here and now it’s destroyed. It will be hard work but we shall rebuild.”

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The damageThe damage
The damage

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