DOZENS of eager youngsters from the Epping 4th Scouting group have returned triumphant from a gruelling week-long trek along the footpaths of Land's End.

The adventure was the culmination of months of training and preparation by the group, organised as part of the celebrations marking scouting's 102nd birthday in the UK.

The 30 youngsters and their leaders set themselves the task of getting from Essex to Britain's most southerly point in just eight days – but luckily they did manage to find a train for the first part of the journey.

One of the scout leaders, Robin Defoe, said the group had seen some spectacular sights during their hikes, even spotting some seals and sharks along the way.

When they finally reached the end of their journey, the group celebrated with a mammoth meal of pizza and chips.

Although that too was not without its challenges.

Mr Defoe said: "We walked up to a counter and said, 'I want five giant pepperoni pizzas, thirty portions of chips and thirty soft drinks please', which was a bit of a logistical nightmare.”

The group has already begun thinking about their next challenge, and have not ruled out a trip to John O Groats next time.

Robin added: "Once we got back to Essex everybody was tired, but everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“We've already started thinking about what we could do next - John O' Groats sounds interesting."