A Scout leader has been left “devastated” following the theft of his caravan which contained Scout shirts which were of deep sentimental value.

Tony Smith’s caravan was stolen from Castle Saunderson Scout Centre on the Fermanagh/Cavan Border in the early hours of Monday, August 26.

The caravan which Tony stayed in whenever working at Castle Saunderson also had a collection of Scout shirts which he had been storing there in preparation for an upcoming event.

“We had staff working all summer and that Sunday night was the first night that there was nobody in the centre and they must have realised and they went in and cut off the tow hitch lock, cut off the wheel lock and pulled it away and it hasn’t been seen since,” explained Tony.

“It was the scout shirts and badges that were in it that annoyed me more than anything. I brought them down because we have big weekend coming up in the next couple of weeks and I was going to show the collection and they were only in the caravan and now they are gone.”

Among the shirts were some of close personal value to Tony but there has been no sighting of the caravan or the shirts.

“The scout shirts are the main thing. Some of the shirts that were given to me from people that have passed on really old CBSI when the scouting first started in Fermanagh and they are gone and they are sentimental. They are worth more than money and they are the ones that I’m more annoyed about.

“I got one shirt from a very close friend of mine for my 40th birthday from when he was a young scout when scouting first starting in Enniskillen in 1962 and he died a coupe of years ago and I was devastated about that because it was a lovely shirt he had as a young person and he gave to me at a special occasion.

“I have loads of scout leaders all over the country looking out for the shirts and the badges because its something very few people would have in Ireland; the shirts are from all over the world and different jamborees.”

Tony says the Gardaí have told them that the thieves probably do not realise the value of the items they have stolen and the shirts will be more than likely dumped but he is trying to stay positive and he has been buoyed by the response he has got since sharing details of the theft.

“I’m saying to people I’m being positive. If somebody had to have been there and they went out and got hit over the head that would be worse, so nobody was hurt. If I get them back, I get them back. If I don’t, I don’t.”

He is appealing for anybody with any information to get in touch with the Gardaí in the hope that some of the items stolen will be recovered.

A Gardaí spokesperson said they are investigating a theft from Castle Saunderson, Belturbet, on Monday, August 26 at around 1am, however no arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.