SUNDAY’S Scouts’ St George’s Day parades in Bournemouth and Poole have been been cancelled because of the weather.

With torrential showers hitting the area, the decision was taken to call the events off.

Scouts, Beavers and Cubs had been due to form up at Durley Chine at 10am before parading to the bandstand at the Lower Gardens in the town centre to renew their promise.

Scout leader Will Saunders, who organised the parade, said: "We had our fingers crossed but we have had to call it off.

"We’ve got a lot of wet kids here but they’ll soon dry off."

Hundreds of scouts were expected to take part in the march.

Mr Saunders said it was the first time the parade had been called off due to bad weather in "a very long time".

“It’s the first time it’s been called-off since I’ve been a scout leader,” he said.

"Apparently it was cancelled eight years ago for a different reason but before then the last time it was cancelled was in the 80s."

At 10.30am, Poole’s parade was also called off, with the bad weather forecast to continue.

The parade had been due to form up on Poole Quay, by the old lifting bridge, at 2pm, before moving off at 2.30pm.

It was then planned to follow the quay, passing the sculpture of Scouting founder Lord Baden Powell, before Mayor Cllr Philip Eades took the salute.

The parade was due to end at the old lifeboat house, where the youngsters would have renewed their promise before being dismissed.