CONCERNS have been raised that cuts to the county's budget for young people's services could lead to a rise in crime and health problems.

Work to reduce teenage pregnancies and substance misuse is among the areas facing cuts as Devon grapples with a £3.1million fall in funding from the Department for Education this year.

And subsidised home-to-school transport for some students could be under threat in the longer term as the council seeks to balance its books.

Between 37 and 60 jobs at the county council are at risk under a wide range of proposed cuts.

The measures are spelled out in a report by Anne Whiteley, executive director of children and young people's services.

The Connexions careers advice service is facing a £600,000 cut in its budget, which council chiefs admit could leave more young people not in education, employment or training.

Mrs Whiteley advised against reducing extended eligibility for travel for Key Stage 2 pupils this year because it posed "too great a risk to stability of arrangements for these families".

But her report said: "The council faces considerable pressure on home-school/college transport budgets.

"It is already looking at concessionary areas of post-16, faith and grammar school transport.

"The council is committed to giving parents good notice of change and will prefer a phased withdrawal."

The report also warns that "work on teenage pregnancy and substance misuse could be destabilised" by cutting its budget by 38 per cent, or £122,000.

Exeter GP Dr Pip Hayes, who has campaigned to raise awareness of safe sex and family planning issues, said: "Anything that makes it more difficult for young people to access all the information they need and especially to access the resources they need to practise safer sex has got to be concerning."

She added that without details of which projects will be cut it was not possible to say what impact the budget reduction might have.

The Echo recently reported that efforts to reduce teenage pregnancy rates in Exeter have not yet led to them falling. The city has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the Devon County Council area, with 47 out of every 1,000 under-18s conceiving. The national average is 40.4 per 1,000 girls.

After considering Mrs Whiteley's report, the council's Exeter Locality Committee resolved to express "its concern to the cabinet about the implications of the cuts affecting children's services across all partner... for example with potentially increased referrals to the youth justice system, health and other social services".

Its concerns are due to be noted at the county council cabinet meeting on Wednesday, September 8.