A GROUP of cubs will be back on the water canoeing again this weekend thanks to Bexley’s mayor and News Shopper.

The headquarters of the 1st North Cray Scouts, in Leafield Lane, North Cray, was broken into and their five canoes, and all their equipment, stolen.

Luckily for them, a council officer spotted the sad tale in News Shopper and offered to donate his own canoe and equipment to the cubs.

Then Bexley’s new mayor, Councillor Denis Daniels, heard about it and decided to give £250 of his mayoral fund to help replace the equipment.

Last week he visited the cubs to hand over the canoe and the cash.

Four of the canoes were recovered by the council’s rangers but the fifth canoe and equipment, including life vests, are still missing.

A delighted Dave Chatfield of the North Cray pack said: “I had felt sure our canoeing days were over for quite some time to come.”