Martyn Bryant, of 1st Mendlesham Scouts, voices frustration after recycling bin in Mendlesham Green set on fire twice in two weeks
A scout leader has voiced his frustration after a village recycling bin was set on fire twice in the space of two weeks.
Emergency services were called to Mendlesham Green on Thursday, February 13, at about 9.20pm following reports of a suspected arson.
Martyn Bryant, group lead volunteer for the 1st Mendlesham Scouts, said this was the second incident recently which has not only damaged the bin but also the bus shelter next door.
He said: “I’m just gutted for this kind of thing to happen — it’s absolutely mindless.
“It just seems to be escalating and I really think we need a bit more police presence to deter this kind of thing from happening again.
“Mendlesham is a really nice village, so you just can’t believe the mentality of these people doing this kind of thing.”
The recycling bins, provided by Mid Suffolk District Council, allow residents to drop off paper which is then sold by weight to generate funds.
However, with the latest fire, any potential income for the scouts has been lost.
Martyn said it has been a challenging time for the group as they are not only dealing with the bin fires but also vandalism after several of their tents have been damaged in the last few years — including tarpaulins being slashed and tent poles being bent beyond repair.
Suffolk Police is monitoring the situation and has urged anyone with information to get in touch, quoting crime reference 37/8511/25.
The scout group is continuing to operate without a permanent HQ since their previous building was demolished in 2016 after being deemed unsafe.
They have been renting space at the Mendlesham Community Centre which has been an added financial strain as the group tries to fund-raise for their new building.
Planning permission has been granted for a their new £80,000 facility with help from construction company Supersips Ltd, based off the A140.
Martyn said: “We are progressing with the plans, granted Covid definitely didn’t help.
“It has been a very frustrating time for us all, but we are hopeful that by this time next year we will be all set up and back with a proper HQ.”
Once completed, the new building is expected to serve not just the scouts but the wider Mendlesham Green community as it will provide a space for parties, meetings and other occasions — similarly to how the former site did.
The 1st Mendlesham Scouts is looking for community members to join as leaders and more details are available on the website and Facebook page.
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