A PROJECT set up to save young boys from gang culture following the murder of Paul Erhahon has gone “seriously wrong”, according to angry youth workers.

Waltham Forest Council agreed to pay £320,000 to charity Catch 22, formally known as Crime Concern, 12 months after the 2007 killing in an attempt to ease tensions between youngsters on the Cathall and Avenue Estates in Leytonstone.

People who work with youngsters in the area have accused the charity of breaking promises, saying progress has been slow and ineffective.

Youth worker Nick Tiratsoo told a meeting of Leytonstone Community Council that Catch 22 had failed to identify a core group of vulnerable youngsters and deliver a minimum of eight weekly sessions.

It was also accused of not being properly involved with the local community and having no key objectives that could be monitored.

Mr Tiratsoo said: “I don’t know where this has gone wrong, but it has gone seriously wrong.

“This was promised to us as a blue-ribboned initiative to get to the heart of problems building up for years.

“To find out work has been delayed to this extent and has only really just started is extremely disappointing.

“Who on the council is monitoring this project and taking responsibility for this delay?”

Catch 22’s Paul Hill said the delay was due processing criminal records checks. He also admitted the charity was struggling to involve the most vulnerable youngsters.

He said: “We were presented with a targeted list of youths from the police but the youths have not been forthcoming, so we have our own list. But membership is voluntary, so there is a lot of work involved to get youths to want to take part.”

Mr Hill added that they had been running workshops on anti-crime and anger managment, which were well attended by youths from both estates and their parents, with 60 at the most recent one.

Waltham Forest Council said the project’s performance was being monitored and Catch 22 would not be given the full allocation of money due to the delay.

Cllr Chris Robbins, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “While it is disappointing that this project has been unable to hit the ground running, it is essential to ensure that our young people are in safe hands. Work like this is key to helping raise aspirations of young people and steer them away from negative lifestyles.”