King and Idris Ebla host mini summit in bid to solve youth crime

Elba, who as a teenager was given a £1,500 grant by The Prince’s Trust to go to the National Youth Music Theatre, said: “I am a product of intervention.

“When I was 15 years old, The Prince’s Trust gave me an opportunity and that opportunity came from a drama teacher who was a mentor.”

He said that “everyone in this room is an intervention tool” and encouraged them to persevere and to “keep your voices alive”.

Sir Keir Starmer said his government was “utterly determined” to tackle the issue, adding that the “most important voices around this table are the young people here who have told (about) their experiences”.

He told the youngsters: “I have been to many events like this where people like me think we know what the answer is, but we don’t.

“We need to listen and that is why the most important voices around this table are the young people here who have told their experiences.

“We need to listen, take it in and reflect on that.

“We have got to turn this into action, as the one thing that frustrates me is just to have the same conversation.”