by Dan Bloom

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has branded the rise in youth unemployment "terrible" as he met jobless young people in Chatham.

The Labour politician visited the advice service Connexions today as it was announced the number of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work nationally had topped one million - a 17-year high.

Mr Balls said: "Here in Chatham the rise is terrible, and if it carries on it's going to be very damaging long-term for this part of the world. The government choked off the recovery, they tried to cut the deficit too fast."

He met Strood Academy principal Richard Hart, Medway Youth Trust chief executive Graham Clewes and unemployed teenagers in the New Road centre.

Among those without jobs were wannabe chefs, computer programmers, Navy servicemen, police dog handlers and psychologists.

Mr Balls praised a Medway Council scheme to set up 100 apprenticeships in 100 days, which reached its target earlier this year, but claimed it needed "national backing and support".

He added: "It's very hard for employers when the economy is not growing, unemployment's rising and their own finances are under pressure."