The former leader of an outreach team for young people in Chippenham has warned the town is a ticking time-bomb after its youth service was all but obliterated.

Shea Stew, who was made redundant because of budget cuts, said Chippenham has gone from having 14 youth work team staff to just one and is now having to rely upon volunteers to run activities.

The Bridge Centre held its final session three weeks ago, shutting along with the youth centres of Devizes, Marlborough, Pewsey, Melksham and Bradford on Avon.

Mr Stew, 30, of Pewsham, said: “The people from above have not really given any serious thought to the implications of a zero youth service. The council has taken away real relationships, proper empathy.

“We as youth workers naturally have an understanding of how a young person might react in any given situation. We have life experience, a big difference to a teacher who stayed in school to do A-levels.

“They buy the system, go to uni and at 23 get out a teacher and presume they can work with young people when all they want to do is teach a subject they enjoy. They don’t have an understanding of the other world.

“We’d get out on to the streets like Hill Rise, go over and talk to them. I’m not interested in centre-based work.

“It’s about getting out there and finding them, going into a situation that is potentially volatile and drug-infested.

“What the council has done is create this massive void which, though they are good people, volunteers aren’t going to be able to fill.

“A volunteer will oversee an activity but not engage, there’s not that continuity, sustaining of relationships.

“Young people can pick up the difference between policing and developing. That is the key difference between volunteers and proper youth workers.”

Mr Stew is setting up his own outreach project to continue his work but with no council funding he will have to bid for it.

Wiltshire Council made all of its youth workers redundant apart from one in each of the 18 area boards, who were given the roles of community youth officers and will need adult volunteers to run clubs.

Mr Stew said: “For the 16 and 17-year-olds I’ve just finished working with, it was pure disappointment that there’s going to be no one there for them, no one to hang out and talk to about something relevant to them.”

Sam Tingey, 18, was expelled from school but said Chippenham’s youth service helped to turn his life around.

He credits its workers’ encouragement with him becoming an apprentice electrician, and said he felt sorry for the young people who would now grow up without that support.

Sam, of Pewsham, said: “I got kicked out of school and Shea basically kept me out of prison and out of trouble. I would probably be on benefits now, if not inside, if it wasn’t for that. It changed me.

“He taught us about mechanics, general life. He always told us to get a trade.

"Shea let us be our own people, have a life. We used to go on trips. My brother’s 14 and he’s not going to have that. Now they’ll just go around Monkton Park doing drugs.”

In a statement, Wiltshire Council said: "There was a lengthy consultation on the proposals to change the way youth activities are delivered and the decision was made to go with a community led model which will provide young people with activities they want to do and give taxpayers value for money.

"Funding from central government has reduced and while working under these financial constraints we are committed to protecting frontline services while making savings.

"All area boards have now received their funding for youth activities and they will be working with their communities to deliver activities to young people.

"Richard (Williams) started his work as a community youth officer for Chippenham this month and is already talking to potential volunteers and looking at possibilities for young people in the area including continuing to use the Riverbank studios at the Olympiad and setting up self-defence and anti-bullying classes.

"Next week there will be a Local Youth Network meeting and shortly after there will be open invitation events to bring groups and organisations together.

"Richard will be going out to meet all interested parties and looking at potential provision in Chippenham and surrounding villages and he’s keen to hear from both volunteers and skilled practitioners interested in providing youth activities.

"Anyone wanting to get in touch with Richard to help organise youth activities can email him on richard.williams@wiltshire.gov.uk."

The council's survey was completed by 1,770 young people, 500 young people took part in focus groups and 38 letters and 26 responses including from voluntary groups on the proposals, were received.