A new district commissioner has come forward to ease the crisis in scouting in Didcot.

Scouts feared they might have to merge with associations in Abingdon or Wantage because they had no district commissioner, chairman or secretary.

Now former scouter John Owen, who read the appeals for help in the Oxford Mail, has offered his services and has been appointed new Didcot district commissioner.

Mr Owen, 63, of Portway, Didcot, said: "I was very sorry to learn of the problems at Didcot and asked if I could help in some way."

Mr Owen, who is married with two daughters and runs the Georgetown sub post office in Wantage Road, Didcot, was born in Barry, south Wales.

He moved to the Isle of Wight and was a scout and then a leader before joining the Royal Navy.

Mr Owen said he was looking forward to building up a strong scout association in Didcot and hoped a new chairman and secretary would be appointed shortly.