Scouts' island to be saved from the sea

Emergency work is to begin next month to prevent the island where Lord Baden-Powell pitched his first scout camp from disappearing into the sea.

The eastern shore of Brownsea Island, which still plays host to Scouts from all over Britain and boasts a rare colony of red squirrels, is being eroded at the rate of one metre a year. On the advice of marine engineers, the National Trust intends to start work on a pounds 250,000 rock barrier to protect the coastline from the increasingly strong currents and winter storms.

Some 10,000 tons of boulders will be placed beneath the sea wall and jetty. The work must be done in October as there are fears that the quay might not survive another harsh winter.