Image caption The report found almost a quarter of young people(23%) felt ignored by older people

More than a third of young people in the UK aged 16 to 24 do not feel part of their local community, research by the Prince's Trust suggests.

The study of more than 2,000 youngsters found one in 10 felt like an outcast.

It said more than half "rarely" or "never" spoke to people over the age of 40 in their local community.

And those who were not in education, employment or training were significantly more likely to feel isolated, the Trust said.

It is a tragedy that so many young people feel separated from the people around them Martina Milburn, Chief executive of the Prince's Trust

The study of 2,226 16 to 24-year-olds showed more than one in five (22%) felt isolated "most of the time", while one in 10 (11%) felt like an outcast.

Almost a third (30%) did not think there was a future for them in their local area.

According to the report, more than half of young people (54%) "rarely" or "never" spoke to people over the age of 40 in their local community, while more than two thirds (68%) "rarely" or "never" spoke to those over 60.

Almost a quarter (23%) felt ignored by older people, while almost half (46%) thought older people were scared of young people.

Martina Milburn, chief executive of the Prince's Trust, said: "It is a tragedy that so many young people feel separated from the people around them.

"Being part of a community and interacting with a mix of people is a crucial part of a young person's development."