THREE Glasgow neighbourhoods have emerged as the only places in Britain where murder is the most common cause of death among young people.

Homicide, most commonly by stabbing, was the leading cause of death among twentysomethings in Easterhouse and among 15-to 19-year-olds in the Calton and Castlemilk districts.

Murder rates in the Glasgow neighbourhoods were more than four times higher than the UK average. Across the rest of Britain, suicide and traffic accidents were the most common causes of death among young people.

Drug overdoses were most likely to kill teenagers and twentysomethings living in other areas of Glasgow, including Milton, Parkhead and Robroyston.

The alarming statistics are revealed in a study by researchers at Sheffield and Bristol universities, who analysed data on almost 15m deaths in the UK in 1981-2004.

The figures were used to produce a detailed map showing the most common causes of death for each age group in every neighbourhood in the UK.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader whose “Easterhouse epiphany” during a visit to the poverty stricken neighbourhood inspired him to set up the Centre for Social Justice, said the statistics were symptomatic of a “dysfunctional” and “broken” society.

A recent report by his think tank, which works with community groups to tackle drug addiction and crime, highlighted the extent of violent youth culture in Glasgow, which now has six times as many gangs per capita as London.

“These are appalling figures and show how dysfunctional parts of society have become,” said Duncan Smith.

“This makes our point that society is broken. An underclass is growing where the social norms that guide the rest of us do not apply and the violent culture of the street prevails.

“We cannot simply arrest our way out of this problem by apprehending teenage troublemakers. We need to get to these disintegrating families before the children reach three years old.”

Bill Aitken MSP, the Conservatives’ justice spokesman, said the figures were “deeply depressing”.

Times Recommends

• Please help: maimed children of war want their lives back
• Unlocking the cruellest prison
• Prince Charles named in £81m court battle