TEIGNBRIDGE District Scout Commissioner Alan Partridge congratulated the Scouting media department for spinning a national failure into a national triumph.

Mr Partridge was referring to the news that, nationally, Scouting had had a membership surge with the best recruitment for the past 38 years.

It brought the total to almost 500,000, an increase of 16,500 new members.

But that is where the euphoria ended, for Mr Partridge questioned whether it really was good news.

'If you take the 16,500 members and divide this by the 811 UK Scout districts then this represents an average of 20 new members per district, bearing in mind that there are a vast number of districts exceeding this basic number, leaving many districts in negative territory.

'Is it satisfactory that an organisation the size of Scouting can achieve only 16,500 new members, the best year for 38 years being only approximately three per cent of members?' he asked.

READ THE FULL ROUNDUP IN OUR ONLINE EDITION