A Scout hut which is being transformed into a new £275,000 meeting place for the whole community has been targeted by thieves.

The Ninth Harpenden Scout Group HQ, in Luton Road, Harpenden, was broken into two weekends ago and burglars made off with £7,000-worth of windows.

The seven Velux windows were due to be installed as part of the re-build, which the Scouts have spent months raising money to fund.

Group Scout leader Elisabeth Grover said: “This is heartbreaking for our Scout families who have spent time raising funds for the new building.

“We have been working really hard as a group, together with our corporate funders, to raise the money for this exciting project.”

Their former dilapidated prefab was pulled down in July to make way for a new home which is scheduled to open at the end of April.

Elisabeth said she hoped last week’s incident would not set them back, adding: “I appreciate what people have done and how much support we have had for this venture.

“It makes me feel very sad that somebody would come and take from us.”

Only this month the Scout group had been saying how well the work was proceeding with the roof on, the building watertight and internal works well underway in anticipation of the spring opening.

The new building is designed to blend in with the church next door and will be fully accessible and with a larger internal area, storage for equipment and a mezzanine floor.

It will also include a large room for community groups to use for events, activities and meetings.

A number of organisations have helped fund the scheme with the Scouts raising a large amount of money themselves from fundraising events such as their annual fireworks display.

Police believe the break-in happened between 5pm on Friday, February 21, and 8am on Sunday, February 23.

A spokesperson said: “Due to the size of the windows it is believed the offender(s) would have needed to have to have used a van.

“Whilst this is a remote location I would appeal to anyone who may have been in the area between these times and saw anything suspicious to contact the Herts Police non-emergency number 101.”