A "huge social gulf" has opened up between the rich and poor in Britain's cities, a Conservative shadow cabinet member warned.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling was speaking ahead of today's launch of a strategy paper setting out Tory plans to tackle inequality in what they term "Britain's divided cities".

Under the plans, specialist help would be offered to get young people out of gangs and into work or training, while job placements for 18 to 21 year olds in areas affected by gang crime would be made a priority in the welfare system.

Families who have their home repossessed face a six-year wait for social housing, council leaders were warned today.

People who lose their home because they can no longer afford mortgage repayments or who found themselves homeless for other reasons will have to wait for more than six years before they are permanently rehoused in a two-bedroom property, according to the chairman of the Local Government Association.

A doctor who left a baby boy with a 'very abnormal' penis after botching a circumcision was suspended for six months. 
Anthonipillai Nicholas-Pillai was 'shivering and sweating' as he performed the operation on the four month old baby at his north London surgery.

The doctor then lied to cover up his blunder, the General Medical Council found.

A Fitness to Practise Panel heard a 22-week old Muslim boy was left with "two tone" genitals as a result of the operation in April 2001 at the Bush Hill Park Medical Centre in Enfield, Middlesex.