Voluntary youth worker Gerald Fubler fears more youths will die in gang wars unless the community tackles the issue.

He believes more youth centres are needed and he said the origins of gangs dated back to the formation of CedarBridge Academy, when youths from particular localities huddled together for protection.

He told The Royal Gazette: “We have to make a sacrifice, it can get out of control, people are going to die. I can sense it.

“There are going to be some serious wars. People are talking about it. There's a build up now.

“Strangers are coming into Somerset from Warwick.

“They are coming into look at areas and find out where people are living, it's information for something. Something is going to happen but no one wants to listen.”

He said dedicated rather than shared youth facilities were needed in the West End, in St. George's and in a central parish.

“We have people in the areas but we need the support, we don't have the resources. Government have empty buildings.”

He said he had a handle on youth issues in his Somerset neighbourhood but others needed to get their ears to the ground if trouble was going to be avoided.

He is advocating four to six people in each parish get to know youths, make recommendations and act on them.

“The only way to deal with the youth problem is actually meet people face to face. I am willing to put a team together. If no one is going to address it, things will get worse.”

Talks between gang leaders and Police several years ago were doomed to failure because they only spoke to the older generation rather than the youngsters, said Mr. Fubler.

Some gang members were just 11 years old said Mr. Fubler.

He said gangs formed when the second senior school - CedarBridge Academy - opened in 1998. “I called them and said don't open your doors on Monday, children were afraid of what might happen.

“In order to protect themselves these guys started mingling as a group; today they are gangs, these guys never separated. I work with that information on a daily basis. I get information parents don't even get.

“One little boy came to me and said he felt there was going to be trouble. He was involved in the first fight at CedarBridge.” Now the focus should be on how to stop the violence said Mr. Fubler which could escalate into a situation resembling the 1977 riots when British troops were called in.

One solution was to make it illegal for more than four people to hang out together suggested Mr. Fubler. “What about their rights? What rights when you are selling drugs to children? They have no rights, we have to wake up, I am sorry.”

Parish councils needed to get involved, said Mr. Fubler.

Youth and Sport Minister Dale Butler said Government was not going to rush in and put up buildings when space and money was limited and there were underused sports facilities available.

Government is currently reviewing sports and social clubs to see what facilities to work on joint ventures. An assessment was being done to say where the needs lay said Mr. Butler.

He said projects were possible at Bailey's Bay Youth Club, Sandys Middle School, which was planning a swimming pool, and at Victor Scott, where both Boulevard and Social Club football teams were keen on developing “the desert” for football.

Mr. Butler said: “We are working with Works and Engineering to see if we can get the field.”

Other groups had expressed interest in airport land said Mr. Butler.

He said social clubs could use empty space for sporting activity looking for a home. As an example he said the Leopard's Club could hook up with the netball association to bring in extra income, update facilities and show leadership to a different generation.

He said: “Out of this comes creative ideas. I want to look at the total picture of what's going on in the groups and pull together a long-term financial package so we see an improvement.

“I am hoping to have the groups committee running by January.”

Mr. Butler said he urged Mr. Fubler to work with sports groups in his neighbourhood and he said Mr. Fubler had been offered his own facility at Springfield but had turned this down.

Mr. Fubler said this was years ago when he had been told he would get a full-time post only to then learn it would be part-time.