GUIDES and Brownies will have to find a new home when the lease on their hall runs out on Christmas Day.

The Weymouth Central District has been the leaseholder of the Old Town Hall in High West Street, Weymouth, since the 1950s.

The district has now been told that when the lease runs out it will have to sign up to a monthly lease scheme, which would transfer the cost of all repairs and maintenance work to the group.

Currently the group only has to pay £100 a year for the lease and the cost of repair or maintenance work inside the building.

Weymouth and Portland Council is responsible for all work carried out externally.

Brownie and Guide leader Lorna Charnock said: "This has been ongoing for a couple of years now, but I think the council has had enough.

"It sent us the first letter in December 2003 explaining the work that needed to be done.

"We had plants growing in the guttering and we asked the council to get rid of them but it's two years later and it still hasn't done anything and the blockages have resulted in damp spreading throughout the building.

"We were told it would cost £100,000 to get the hall up to scratch. As a charitable organisation we are not able to raise this money, especially as the lease offered is for such a temporary arrangement."

Mrs Charnock is now looking for new facilities to allow the Brownies, Guides and Rangers to continue to hold their meetings.

They also need storage space for the children's camping and holiday equipment.

Mrs Charnock added: "We are hoping to sort something out in the near future.

"At the moment we are appealing to friends, parents and anyone else who may be able to help by renting or donating storage space."

Greg Northcote, property services manager at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: "There hasn't been a change in the lease.

"Part of the premises was leased to the Brownies and Guides for a number of years.

"We're considering what will happen and haven't come to any conclusions."