LABOUR councillors approved spending plans for the coming year which include a 75 per cent cut to the youth service budget and puts day care centres for the elderly in jeopardy.

Haringey Council claims it was forced to make the swingeing cuts after its own budget was cut by £41 million with further cuts of £43m over the following two years.

It plans to make 1,000 council employees redundant – a fifth of its workforce – and is closing two customer service centres and sharing services with Waltham Forest Council.

Councillor Joe Goldberg, cabinet member for finances, said the budget, agreed last Thursday, aimed to "tackle and mitigate inequality", but those who have been hit hardest by the council's cuts are community and voluntary groups who work with the most vulnerable.

Older people's day care and drop-in centres are now "under review".

In a deputation at the council meeting, Symeon Brown, of Save Haringey Youth Centres campaign, blasted the council for decimating the youth budget.

He said: "What is most disgusting is your budget is being cut by 20 per cent, but our budget is being cut by 75 per cent. What is left? Do your young people deserve crumbs?"

The LSE graduate, who drew from his own experiences growing up in Tottenham, added: "When you take away our youth services, you take away the psychological support that our youth workers provide. You take away an opportunity for skills and a safe space for our young people to meet rather than on the streets where many of us have died."

Councillors remained adamant they had no choice but to make the cuts and said Haringey's own budget had faced disproportionate reductions when compared with more prosperous boroughs like Richmond and Sutton, and that the timing of the Government's spending review had placed members under pressure to make cuts too quickly.

Cllr Goldberg said: "Haringey is facing one of the toughest settlements among local authorities. We remain opposed to the speed and depth of the cuts and committed to tackling inequality and making Haringey one borough with one future.

He added: "The institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that the Government's cuts will bring the first rise in absolute poverty in 15 years, with 900,000 people entering poverty. This has very much been a focus in our spending decisions."

The finance boss said the council has set aside a £2m fund to tackle unemployment particularly among young people, had protected libraries and increased investment in child protection.