THE Government has been told to send an unemployment "hit squad" in to one of the most deprived parts of Worcester.

The Holy Trinity ward, which covers Ronkswood and Tolladine, has 195 jobless workers - 6.3 per cent of the adult population - three times the county average.

The Claines ward has just 40 people seeking work, or 1.2 per cent, while Worcestershire's unemployment rate stands at just 2.2 per cent.

Residents in Holy Trinity say high unemployment is creating a "yob culture".

Now city MP Mike Foster is demanding that "no one gets left behind" as the local economy grows.

He has written to the Employment Service asking for urgent, direct action in Holy Trinity to help residents out of the "vicious unemployment circle".

"With a strong and stable economy, Worcester's benefiting from increased prosperity," said the Labour MP. "Yet the biggest obstacle faced by people from experiencing this prosperity remains unemployment.

"Places like Holy Trinity ward deserve special attention, so that we don't leave anyone behind. It's a place of disadvantage within the city.

"Unemployment has fallen massively since 1997, but for too many people - especially men, it seems - unemployment's still a fact of life."

Mr Foster is calling for a partnership between employers and the Employment Service in tackling this issue to help remove the remaining unemployment pockets.

"I want to see innovative and concerted action taken that equips the unemployed with the help needed to get them back into the world of work, so that they and their families start to share in the growing prosperity in Worcester."

One Tolladine resident, who would not be named, said unemployment was blighting the area.

"There are lots of youths hanging around the shops. They don't seem to be interested in work. They behave like yobs. Perhaps there should be a project to get them off the streets." Holy Trinity councillor Geoff Williams agreed that unemployment needed to be tackled within the ward.

"I think the way forward is to equip people with the basic skills they need so they can get back into employment," he said.

"The city council's working in a number of partnerships, including the Education Programme with the Learning and Skills Council, which aims to get 420 people in Worcester through its programme by the end of the year.

"We've also been looking at regeneration programmes, business start-ups and inward investment. Sanctuary Housing was one of the most recent examples, which created around 70 jobs."

Unemployment in Worcester fell by 42.5 per cent - more than 900 people - between March, 1997, to March, 2003.

The second lowest unemployment rate is in Bewardine at 1.6 per cent, or 54 people. Next comes St Peter, 1.8 per cent (84); St Clement, 2.1 per cent (77); Nunnery, 2.2 per cent (74); St Stephen, 2.3 per cent (72); St John, 2.6 per cent (79); St Nicholas, 3.2 per cent (101); St Martin, 3.5 per cent (154); St Barnabas, 4.4 per cent (127), and All Saints, 5.7 per cent (164).

The Employment Service was unavailable for comment as the Evening News went to press.