Crime 'greatest fear' for young

Of those questioned, 37% ranked crime as their main fear

Violent crime is the biggest fear for young people in London, a new survey has suggested.

Global warming and unemployment were also prominent worries among 12,220 young Londoners questioned by volunteer charity CSV and supermarket Tesco.

Of the 16 to 25-year-olds questioned, 37% ranked crime as their main fear. One in three were worried about global warming while 30% feared unemployment.

The Home Office said violent crime has fallen 31% over the past 10 years.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "There is no evidence to suggest that violent crime by young people is on the increase. The vast majority of youngsters are on the right track."

The survey asked people to rank their three greatest fears for the future.

Racial tension was a bigger fear in London than elsewhere in the country, with 22% of Londoners ranking it as a top fear compared with the national average of 17%.

However debt was feared by only 22% of Londoners, compared with a national average of 48%.

One in four respondents included drug use in their list of fears, while 12% said they feared obesity.

The survey was commissioned for CSV's campaign Agents4Change, which aims to encourage young people to become involved in community projects.

A spokeswoman for the campaign said: "Young people have genuine fears for the future but they are not powerless to overcome them."

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