HARD work has paid off for three 13-year-old Scouts.

Iain McCaig, Matthew Smith and Ben Sutton, all members of the 8th Huddersfield North Outlane Scouts, have received their pioneer instructors' badges.

The boys completed more than 100 hours of training and had to build structures from wood and ropes, including a tent tower and monkey bridge at Bradley Wood Scout Camp, near Brighouse, and a swinging crane at Sconce campsite at Baildon. They were assessed over four weekend sessions.

Now they are qualified to teach other Scouts within the troop and the district.

Earlier this year, Joshua Parker from the same troop gained the badge, aged only 11. The boys are the first in the Huddersfield district to receive the badge for at least five years.

"We are very proud of all four of them," said group Scout leader Sue Parker.

The troop meets every Monday at Outlane Methodist Church.