A last-ditch attempt to save Tenby's Scout and Guide headquarters has been launched this week.

With the future of the dilapidated Warren Street building in serious doubt, the hall trustees have made an urgent call for a developer to come forward and save the day.

Following a meeting on Monday, the four trustees have come up with an innovative project to try and ensure that the town's long association with the Scout and Guide movement continues.

In a public notice in today's issue of the Observer, the proposed scheme is described as 'a unique residential development opportunity' incorporating the 80-year-old hall and the adjacent car park.

"We are very concerned about the state of the hall and realise that there are serious problems with regards to health and safety and also increased insurance costs that we have to look at," said chairman of the trustees, Mr. Colin Jones.

"We have therefore decided that, once the groups finish meeting in July, to close the hall and we will not re-open until either we have a new one built or the repairs that are needed are carried out," he continued.

"An appeal fund is already in operation, but it has taken us seven years to raise £26,000 and that is no way near enough to cover the cost of the work.

"Therefore, we are now approaching developers to see if they would rent the land from us on a peppercorn 999-year lease, for example, and build us a new hall, complete with flats above, which they could then rent out and get income from," Mr. Jones explained.

"We are continuing to fund-raise and are still receiving generous donations, which once the new hall is built will be used to kit it out," he added.

Property developers replying to the notice will be contacted with outline details of the opportunity, with a view to them making a presentation of their proposals to the trustees and hall management committee. The closing date is Friday, July 16.

"As trustees, we feel that this is now the only way forward and we sincerely hope that it will be the answer to our problems," concluded Mr. Jones.