ANGRY children and parents are due to stage a protest tonight (Thursday) over Islington Council s plans to pass the running of their youth club to an outside party.

ANGRY children and parents are due to stage a protest tonight (Thursday) over Islington Council's plans to pass the running of their youth club to an outside party.

The Rose Bowl Youth Centre in St Paul's Open Space, on the Marquess Estate, Canonbury, was shut down by Islington Council in mysterious circumstances in February.

Police and parents have hailed the service as vital in curbing youth crime on one of Islington's most deprived housing estates.

Tonight the council is holding an open evening at The Rose Bowl to invite "suitably qualified organisations" to take over the running of the troubled centre. But with the school holidays almost at an end and no sign of the youth club reopening, frustrated families are set to make their feelings known.

One single parent, who lives on the Marquess Estate and works for Homes for Islington, the borough's housing management firm, said: "The Rose Bowl has always been run by local people for local kids and that's how it should stay. It was great the way it was as it gave a lot of support to the kids from poor families like mine who needed somewhere to go."

The centre's �100,000-a-year running costs are paid for by Islington Council with help from community charity Friends of the Rose Bowl.

The successful bidder with be awarded a two-year contract for the running of the Rose Bowl.

Councillor Catherine West, leader of Islington Council, said: "To apply for important extra funding to benefit local young people, we need an independent organisation to run The Rose Bowl's youth work. We're working closely with Friends of the Rose Bowl to carefully select a suitable organisation and reopen it. We're also investing money in improving the centre.