CUTS to Essex County Council’s youth service have been approved.

The council’s cabinet gave the green light to stop running services and to train more volunteers instead.

The service’s budget will be slashed from £5million to £2.4million by 2017. It stood at £12million two years ago.

A report approved by cabinet said services run by the council will only be kept where a profit can be made.

The decision has already been challenged by the council’s Labour group, which means it will be discussed by a scrutiny committee before it can be rubberstamped.

It is not known how many staff face the axe, but the authority has set aside £300,000 for redundancy payments.

County Hall has said it will spend £1million next year improving youth service buildings.

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