By Rebecca Camber Chief Crime Correspondent For The Daily Mail
Published: 01:37 BST, 7 May 2019 | Updated: 01:37 BST, 7 May 2019
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The knife crime epidemic has been directly fuelled by drastic cuts in youth services, according to MPs' research published today.
It found that police forces covering areas with the biggest youth services cuts – such as West Midlands, the Metropolitan, Cambridgeshire and Thames Valley – have also seen some of the highest increases in knife offences.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that Wolverhampton and Westminster were the worst hit in England, with youth services slashed by 91 per cent over three years in both areas.
![The number of youth centres supported by local authorities have halved since 2011 and there has been a 42 per cent drop in youth service staff. A stock image is used for illustrative purposes above [File photo]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/07/01/5303540-6999561-image-m-41_1557188362341.jpg)
The number of youth centres supported by local authorities have halved since 2011 and there has been a 42 per cent drop in youth service staff. A stock image is used for illustrative purposes above [File photo]
Cambridgeshire county council and Wokingham borough council also made cuts of 88 per cent and 81 per cent respectively between 2014/15 and 2017/18, according to the figures obtained by the all-party parliamentary group on knife crime.
Separate police data shows that knife crime soared in those areas. Since 2014 there has
