PRIME Minister David Cameron yesterday declared “all-out war” on gangs to stop a “moral collapse” in British society.

He chose Base 33, a youth centre in his Witney constituency, to deliver his hard-hitting fightback to last week’s riots.

Mr Cameron vowed the Government would “review every aspect” of its work after the violence. Schools, communities, families, health and safety legislation and government and police bureaucracy would all be looked at.

And he promised action to “turn around” 120,000 problem families known to disrupt neighbourhoods.

Copycat disorder spread to Oxford last Tuesday, with a failed petrol bomb attack at McDonald’s in Risinghurst and a car set ablaze in Barton.

Mr Cameron said: “These riots were not about race: the perpetrators and the victims were white, black and Asian. These riots were not about government cuts: they were directed at high street stores, not Parliament.

“And these riots were not about poverty: that insults the millions of people who, whatever the hardship, would never dream of making others suffer like this. No, this was about behaviour – people showing indifference to right and wrong, people with a twisted moral code and people with a complete absence of self-restraint.”

One of Mr Cameron’s pledges to tackle future problems was to bring in a new youth organisation, which would “capture the spirit of national service”.

The “national citizen service” will get 16-year-olds from different backgrounds to work together in communities. He plans to have 30,000 people enrolled next year.

But parts of the speech angered some users of Base 33, with Mr Cameron claiming “children without fathers” were partly to blame for the riots.

Mr Cameron said: “I don’t doubt that many of the rioters out last week have no father at home.”

Base 33 user Georgia Haynes, 16, of Witney, said: “I did not have a male figure and I have never been arrested. He has got it all wrong.”

Jesse Day, 19, of Witney, said: “Just because you do not have parents does not mean you get into trouble. It is patronising.”

Chairman of trustees at Base 33 Richard Donoghue said: “Some of the young people reacted badly, but there is truth to what he said about family breakdown and not connecting and talking to each other.”

Gawain Little, president of Oxford and District Trade Unions Council, said Mr Cameron’s assertion that riots were not about cuts as “completely absurd” and went on to accuse the Government of “taking away young people’s futures.”

Mr Cameron’s comment that people showed an “indifference to right and wrong” was also rejected by Rev Stephanie Bullock, of St. Mary's Church in Barton.

* PRIME Minister David Cameron chose to return to his home patch in Witney and the Base 33 youth centre to make his speech yesterday.

The youth centre is just across the road from his High Street constituency office and provides support for teen mothers, schemes to get young people into work and drop-in services.

Mr Cameron said: “Base 33 is an excellent organisation.

“It has innovative, effective methods of reversing social breakdown and turning lives around. It is an inspiring example of what can be done in our communities, which is why I chose to speak from there today.”

Base 33 youth worker Mark Bennett said: “I hope we are an example of what he is trying to achieve.”

But the youth centre faced the prospect of cutting 75 per cent of its work two months ago.

Public donations had dropped by more than 50 per cent in a year. It was only saved after the public came forward and donated more than £10,000 in a month.