London, Nov.12 : In a stark warning about the extent of the "broken society" in Britain, a Tory-backed group has claimed that a toxic combination of family breakdown and school failure is creating a violent and anti-social youth culture.

According to The Telegraph, The Commission for Social Justice will today launch an inquiry into the epidemic of gang and youth crime that threatens to turn inner cities into no-go areas.

The commission, chaired by the former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, released shocking statistics:

• Every year an estimated 70,000 school-aged offenders enter the youth justice system;

• 18- to 20-year-olds constitute 42 per cent of all first-time offenders;

• Three quarters of male offenders between 18 and 21 re-offend within two years;

• The most likely person to have a knife is a boy of 14-19.

• Four out of 10 muggings are committed by under-16s.

• The total of young offenders in custody has been above 2,500 every month since April 2000 and 1,504 of those in custody now are 16 or younger.

The commission will liase with the senior police officers who advised Rudolph Giuliani, the architect of the zero tolerance policy when he was mayor of New York, and will produce recommendations to restore a sense of order and safety to the streets.

It will also launch a strong attack on City institutions for not investing more of their profits in the inner cities.

There have been more than 30 criminal justice Bills since 1997. Over 3,000 new criminal offences were created — one for every day Labour has been in office. However the Tories claim there has been no real attempt to reverse the social breakdown at the root of the crime problem.

Public confidence in the criminal justice system has fallen, with up to 17 per cent of people reporting "high levels" of anxiety about violence and anti-social behaviour. (ANI)