FOR Pete Ashcroft, the destruction of the centre at Rhydd Covert was all the more upsetting, as he was one of the determined volunteers who erected the building in 1971.

Now aged 66, the Kidderminster resident said he was devastated to see the building reduced to a blackened shell after decades of service.

He added: "Being involved so much in the building of it, you just think 'we put in all that work and it would have gone on for another 20 years without any problems'. It was such a shock because it was suddenly gone."

He explained: "When you look back over the years, you see people using it and think 'my goodness, it was really worth a lot to people'."

He described Operation Covert as a vital campaign.

"I think it is going very well, a lot of people have already spoken to me about it and have said it is worthwhile so I think we should do quite nicely."

In 1969, the camp's Home Guard shelter was torched by suspected vandals and Mr Ashcroft gathered a team of volunteers to set about replacing it with a former RAF Nissen hut.

He became site warden at Rhydd Covert in 1971 and the centre was opened the following year.

Operation Covert is aiming to raise £80,000 to build a state-of-the-art Scout centre for the 21st century.

It is a very different picture than a quarter of a century ago, when the hut cost £18 and a further £109 was spent on securing the structure in place.

It was subsequently added to with a brick extension to the rear, which was also ruined in the October 10 blaze.