A 50-YEAR-OLD scout group in Melksham could be threatened with bankruptcy if it is forced to shell out for repairs to its crumbling building.

The First Melksham Scout Group believes a collapsing river wall near its hut off Bank Street is causing huge cracks to appear in floors, walls and ceilings.

But a row over who is responsible for repairing the wall next to Clacker's Brook has frustrated scout leaders, who fear for the future of their group.

If the wall collapses into the brook, which runs through King George V playing fields and past Somerfield, it could spark huge flooding problems in Melksham.

Scout group spokesman Simon Dicks said: "We have problems with maintenance and repairs it costs us enough already.

"If we have to pay for repairs caused by the collapsing wall then it will run into tens of thousands and we will be bankrupt.

"It is right on the edge of our property and at the moment we are in limbo. While the problem is going on it is not getting fixed."

West Wiltshire District Council, Transco and the Environment Agency have held a series of meetings to thrash out who is responsible for repairs to the bulging wall.

But the lengthy delays spell danger for the scouts, who may have to move out if the building's condition deteriorates any further.

The problem lies in the ownership of the wall. When Melksham Urban District Council now West Wiltshire District Council bought the land 40 years ago, it built a fence marking its boundary.

The collapsing wall lies 10 metres behind the fence so the district council says it is not responsible.

But because of potential flooding risks the council has now agreed to stump up cash for repairs.

Bradford-on-Avon consultant Lewin Fryer has been recruited by the Environment Agency to draw up repair plans.

District council spokesman Louise Knox said: "We are sympathetic to the scout group's problems and are interested in the site but we are cautious of jumping in with solutions when we don't even know the extent of the problem.

"The council is working towards getting the issue resolved.

"We told the scout group we needed a structural report from it to see the problems but we have never received any report.

"It is not actually our liability but as a local authority we do have a responsibility to work towards flood prevention."