Is closure of youth centres exposing young people to violent crime?

The long summer holidays might sound like an idyllic prospect. But sadly for many young people, it’s a different story. Two in three disadvantaged children are afraid of being attacked or exploited by gangs. That’s just one of the stark findings by the Childhood Trust, which surveyed 12,000 children through the charities it supports. The trust claims that cuts to youth services across the country over the last five years have contributed significantly to the rise in violent crime.