A SENIOR youth worker has resigned in disgust after a council cut in funding to youth programmes in Leytonstone, the Guardian understands.

In a statement, Waltham Forest Council did not provide details of the reduction but said it was holding "more activities than ever before" for young people this summer on a revised budget.

The authority confirmed that a member of its youth team had left to join another council.

The Guardian has learnt of the news from a well-placed source.

The reduction in spending forms part of the authority's decision to slash £1.7million from its children and young people department this year.

The move comes following a cut in funding from central Government, although Whitehall sources said local councils had been given flexibility over which areas to make savings.

Cllr Saima Mahmud, the council's cabinet member for children and young people services, said: “As a result of the public sector spending cuts announced by the Coalition Government, savings will have to be made within the council’s children and young people directorate, as with all other directorates.

“I am happy to highlight, however, that despite the ongoing pressures on our budgets, we have been able to work with 13 of our schools to run a summer programme for the whole community – we’ve done this by prioritising things that make a real difference to residents’ lives.”

A council spokesman added: "The current level of provision across the borough has been achieved by making more efficient use of facilities and staff, so as to continue to deliver the same - if not higher - standards of service on a revised budget."

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