YOUNGSTERS are getting out of control in a "decivilised" Britain, a leading Tory warned today.

Many have no fear of authority and are living out the shocking story of Lord Of The Flies.

The warning, from shadow trade and industry secretary Alan Duncan, follows the shooting murders of three teenagers in south London within a fortnight.

In a speech to a think tank, Mr Duncan said some young people were living out William Golding's story, in which a group of schoolboys descend into barbarism after being stranded on a desert island.

He said adults were no longer able to exert discipline over the young, with Britain facing a "collapse of authority".

"The greatest problem we need to address in Britain is that it is steadily becoming decivilised," he said.

"We need to empower teachers so they can exert the control that too many parents are unwilling or unable to exert."

He was backed by Tory leader David Cameron, who said British society is "badly broken".

He said the death of 15-year-old Billy Cox, who was gunned down in his own home on Wednesday, was "deeply depressing".

He added: "Like everyone else, I was just appalled and deeply saddened when I watched television pictures of that boy's body being taken out of his house.

"That's what our society's now come to - teenagers shooting other teenagers in their homes at point blank range. It is deeply depressing.

"We need to recognise our society is badly broken and we need to make some big changes, starting now."

Their comments come as Home Secretary John Reid was meeting south London MPs to discuss the spate of shootings.

Mr Reid will also meet Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair and other senior officers to discuss steps in combating gun and gang culture.

The shooting of Billy Cox follows the deaths of James Smartt-Ford, 16, and Michael Dosunmu, 15, both also gunned down in the past two weeks.