Supporting families and communities is key to tackling antisocial behaviour among young people, not raising the drinking age, the Conservative party leader, David Cameron, said today.

A "culture change" that "celebrates marriage" is needed to help combat problems with unruly youths, he said in an interview, and that family breakdown was key because too many youngsters were growing up without male role models.

His comments came as a survey revealed that half of British people felt more frightened on the streets than a decade ago.

"We are not going to deal with anarchy in the UK unless we actually strengthen families and communities in the UK," Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

About 70% of inmates in young offender institutions were from broken homes, he said. "Many single mums do a fantastic job bringing up children, but I think we have got to be frank with ourselves and say 'Children do best if mum and dad are there to help bring them up' so there are male role models for them.

"In too many of our communities, there aren't those male role models and so we need to do more to strengthen families.

"I think all of us know that tough penalties on their own are not enough. You have got to get behind the crime figures and ask yourself, why is it there so much social disorder and breakdown in Britain? Why is it that there is so much concern about young people running out of control?

"I believe it's because of social breakdown, it's because of family breakdown, it's because of a lack of discipline in schools, it's a lack of proper values being taught in the home. We are not really going to solve the crime problem unless we solve the family problem."

A YouGov poll for GMTV and the Mirror published today showed that half of British people felt more frightened on the streets than a decade ago.

The survey was carried out in the wake of the murder of father-of-three Garry Newlove, 47, who was attacked after challenging a gang of youths outside his Warrington home.

After the killing, Peter Fahy, the chief constable of Cheshire police, said parents who refused to take responsibility for their children's under-age drinking should be forced into accepting police offers of support.

The poll found that 65% believe under-16s should not be allowed out unsupervised after dark; 42% said they would rather not go out at night because of gangs and muggers (rising to 50% of women); 62% felt parents shouldered most of the blame for antisocial youngsters; and 89% thought parents should be held responsible for how their children behaved.

More than a third - 36% - said they had called police about antisocial behaviour and a third claimed they had been forced to confront thuggish youths.

Although Mr Fahy is calling for the legal age for buying alcohol to be raised from 18 to 21, only 5% of the 1,382 people questioned by YouGov believed the easy availability of cheap alcohol was to blame for yobbish behaviour.

Mr Cameron also disagreed with Mr Fahy: "I'm not persuaded that raising the age from 18 to 21 is the right answer," he said. But he called for more prosecutions of shops caught selling alcohol to children.

Home Office minister Tony McNulty said: "The government is committed to tackling crime and the fear of crime, which is why we have put record numbers of police on our streets and have provided them with an armoury of tools to crack down on antisocial behaviour and those who spread misery in our communities.

"We are redoubling our efforts to stamp out antisocial behaviour, including alcohol-fuelled disorder, through a twin approach of effective policing and supporting the vital role played by our communities. This work includes promoting individual responsibility and support for parents."