Crowds of angry teenagers filled Croydon Town Hall's public gallery on Monday in protest at changes to their youth club.

Craning their necks to peer over the side of the gallery to the council chamber below, scores of teenagers from Timebridge Youth Centre, in Fieldway, booed council leader Hugh Malyan and other members of the cabinet as they discussed recommendations following a review of the youth service.

The council wants the service to be more curriculum-led, with centres across the borough offering a programme of personal and social development.

It also wants to shift the focus on to providing more outreach work with youngsters on the streets, which would free up some premises.

Despite reassurances from councillors that the Timebridge Youth Centre would remain an important part of the council's youth service, members of the centre's management committee said the teenagers were left angry after the meeting because they felt they were not listened to.

One of the recommendations of the review is to relocate the youth worker at Timebridge to the dilapidated Goldcrest Centre in New Addington, which is to be transformed into a new curriculum centre.

Members of the Timebridge Centre's management committee, which includes Labour Councillor Mary Walker, said they felt the Goldcrest Centre was unsuitable and teenagers would end up loitering on the streets.

Coun Walker said she believed that withdrawing support from Timebridge would be the same as closing the centre.

She said: "I think the young people at Timebridge will chose to vote with their feet and will not go to the Goldcrest Centre. I don't understand these plans. I thought youth work was to engage young people in a particular locality. I don't think Taberner House is listening to the young people."

But Ian Marshall, head of youth services at the council, sought to reassure users of the Timebridge Youth Centre that it would continue to receive the same level of service as it does now.

Councillor Malyan also voiced his support for the centre saying: "Timebridge remains a fundamental plank in our youth service plans."