Youngsters fuelled England's rioting crisis simply because they were bored on their school holidays, a survey has suggested.
Violence and looting may not have escalated to such devastating levels during term time, young people who were questioned said.
Campaigners said events illustrated the need for better opportunities for children during their spare time.
Wasim Khan, chief executive of the Cricket Foundation said there was a need for structured activities during school holidays.
"The survey clearly shows that young people in cities are crying out for positive activities during the long summer holidays.
"It's no surprise that boredom breeds bad behaviour. Children need an outlet to channel their energies and a structured competitive environment like street cricket can help provide this."
The poll of 1,000 people aged between 12 and 18 found almost a third of those in London said the riots occurred because young people get bored during their break.
About 46 per cent of those polled said they thought the riots and looting took place because young people do not respect police, while 43 per cent said they believed people joined in because they thought they would not get caught.
The research was commissioned by StreetChance and Barclays Spaces for Sports, an initiative promote sporting opportunities in inner-city areas.
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