THOUSANDS of the city’s most vulnerable teenagers could be put at greater risk of becoming involved in gangs, drugs and underage sex because of the shock decision to cut youth service funding.

Charities have warned about the damaging impact for the whole community after learning that Brighton and Hove City Council plans to pull the majority of youth service funding.

Youth workers warn organisations providing the only support for vulnerable youngsters in isolated parts of the city are facing closure.

Charity bosses said the news was a “bolt out of the blue” after council assurances three weeks ago that their funding would be secured for the next three years.

Cllr Tom Bewick, council lead for children’s services, said the decision to cut funding was taken with a “heavy heart” as the department seeks to save £6 million from its £80 million budget in 2017/18.

The news comes as a devastating blow to the Brighton and Hove Youth Collective of eight charities which works with more than 2,500 children every year.

Members described the move as “short-sighted savings” that will end up costing the taxpayer more through other services because of the loss of preventative action on drug use, gangs, pregnancy, smoking and mental health issues.

A Deans Youth Project spokeswoman said: “This will close us down. Tthis is our funding. We have no other funding.”

Adam Muirhead of the Trust for Developing Communities said: “What we are likely to see is more anti-social behaviour, more crime and more people going to prison.

“The only time people will get support will be once they have been arrested or they are already pregnant.it’s terrible strategic planning.”

Council director Pinaki Ghoshal said: “When I met with the youth service there were no plans to make savings on the scale that we have currently come to.

“So I quite understand their surprise and shock.

“The proposals being put forward by the administration published later this week reflect the difficult financial challenges we now find ourselves facing.”