Letter: Brent drug wars

Sir: As a community work professional who has lived for 20 years in south Brent, the area which has experienced four drug-related murders since the summer (report, 15 November) I have witnessed the lack of provision for young adults.

According to the Audit Commission report on juvenile crime, Brent has a model drugs prevention policy. But this cannot succeed without the right provision on the ground. The local youth club has been closed for a couple of years. Kilburn Skills, the voluntary training centre, was shut down recently. Two college centres have also closed and vocational training is now carried out in unadjacent boroughs.

Nationally, funds have been cut back drastically for both vocational training and youth services, while co-ordination is lacking between the multiplicity of agencies involved locally, regionally and nationally. Unemployment is falling but is still disproportionately high among young black men.

DON MACDONALD

London NW6