£22 million has been slashed in potentially "devastating" cuts to council youth service budgets across London in the last five years, according to a new report.

A report by Sian Berry, Green Party London Assembly Member, based on a freedom of information (FOI) request sent to each borough council, found that all the respondents had cut funding in the last five years, with Greenwich the only exception.

Citing research by Unison, the report states that 83 per cent of people working in the sector thought cuts to youth services had an effect on crime and anti-social behaviour.

71 per cent of respondents said it was “now harder for young people to stay in formal education”.

Ms Berry visited Grove Park Youth Club, in Marvels Lane where a community group have been fighting to save the facility since Lewisham council withdrew funding in 2013.

The group have formed a charity with the aim of taking over and re-opening the 50 year old purpose built facility.

The Building Preservation Trust (BTP) set up in December last year, is an attempt to secure the future of the building.

A spokesman for the group said at the time: "The BTP aims to expand the remit of the building to cater for wider community daytime use.

"The group, formed by local residents and parents, is in talks with a number of providers of youth services as well as funding providers for both restoration works, ongoing maintenance and management.

"A number of local groups associated with youth provision and neighbourhood welfare have also been identified as potential tenants.

"However, this is just the start, and today we are appealing for young people to be involved in every aspect of designing and delivering a youth offer for this area.

"We encourage individuals and groups to get in touch and join our campaign to save our youth club."

Lewisham Council, who are responsible for Grove Park Youth Club, did not respond to Ms Berry’s FOI request.

Across the rest of the News Shopper area there were big reductions, with Greenwich borough being the only exception.

Bromley has seen a 66 per cent reduction in youth services funding between 2011/12 to 2016/17, making it the London borough with the sixth biggest cut.

Bexley saw a reduction of eight per cent in the same time frame.

Greenwich was the only borough to increase spending on youth services.

Their youth service budget in 2011/12 was £1, 690,181 which rose by 95 per cent to £3,295,181.

Bromley have reduced their grants to voluntary sector youth services by 100 per cent in the time frame and in Bexley grants were reduced by 49 per cent.

Ms Berry said: “Government cuts have hit all London councils hard, and youth services have been put on the chopping block across our city as a result.

“The impact of these cuts could be devastating. Good quality youth services help prevent young people from falling into crime and also make them less vulnerable to the exploitation of groups like gangs.

“The Mayor does fund some initiatives targeted at knife and gang crime, but many of these also depend on general youth services being available once young people decide to make changes to their lives.

“The Mayor should be helping councils as part of his Police and Crime Plan.

"Saving youth centres and youth workers would genuinely help to improve young people’s lives and achieve his goal of real crime prevention.”