I was surprised to find possibly one of the most important pieces of news in last week's Bury Times buried in a tiny article on page 7 (Bury spends less on youth services').

With the amount of coverage that the press gives to the negative view of young people, I would have thought that the news that Bury spends just £36 per year on each young person in the borough to have made front page news. Is it any wonder that young people complain of having no resources and nothing to do when the total amount the council will spend on each young person is less than it charges for four days' car parking?

At the same time youth services are regularly critiscised in the papers and at Local Area Boards for not doing enough.

I feel that the local youth service and Connexions service and all the other voluntary organisations such as Prestwich Methodist Youth Association are providing high quality services with almost no financial resources at all.

Surely something should be done to increase the amount of money spent on young people in the borough. The youth service is understaffed because they can pretty much only offer part-time positions. Bury Council has its Investors in People award; what about an Investors In Young People award? Come on Bury, it is time to give the young people of this borough the services they deserve.

A YOUTH WORKER, Bury