Social media websites are fueling violence by hosting videos that glamourise gangs, minister warns

James Brokenshire, the housing minister who is recovering from lung cancer, is on Saturday walking 22 miles as he raises money in memory of murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen. www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jamesbrokenshire

Social media websites are fueling knife and gun crime on the streets by hosting "appalling" videos that glamourise violence,  a Cabinet minister has warned.

James Brokenshire says that social media websites have to take greater responsibility and remove violent content as he warns that videos hosted on the websites are "luring" young people into gangs. 

​Mr Brokenshire, who is recovering from lung cancer, spoke to The Telegraph ahead of a 22-mile walk in memory of the murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen.

The 50-year-old, who stepped down as Northern Ireland Secretary after his diagnosis in January, is set to cross 21 of London's bridges on Saturday to complete the challenge.

The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup in south-east London made a swift return to the Cabinet when he was appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government last month.

He is one of an estimated 300 people, including Barry and Margaret Mizen, who are hoping to raise £50,000 for their charity For Jimmy - set up after the murder of their 16-year-old son Jimmy 10 years ago - on a walk between Richmond and Tower Bridge.

Jimmy bled to death in a bakery in Lee, south-east London, on May 10 2008, after violent teenager Jake Fahri threw an oven dish at him.

Mr Brokenshire, who first met the "humbling and inspiring" Mizens nine years ago, said the annual walk was especially poignant this year, coming on the tenth anniversary of Jimmy's killing.

Mr Brokenshire said: " I just feel so lucky to be fit and well and recovered in the way that I am. Equally to be doing something like this for such a special family. 

"The Mizens are humbling and inspiring in equal measure, how they have sought to give so much back having been through such harrowing loss as we remember the tenth anniversary of the murder of Jimmy Mizzen. Their message of hope and love is so powerful. 

"When I was at home recovering from my surgery I set myself a few challenges. Seeing that this event was taking place I thought that's a reasonable period of time in getting my fitness back. That has helped me in getting my fitness back, doing the walking."

It also comes amid a surge in violent crime in the capital, with more than 60 murder investigations launched by Scotland Yard this year.

Mr Brokenshire highlighted the "profoundly inappropriate videos" that children and teenagers are exposed to. He said: "Sometimes with these videos the gang tensions that are out on the street are then amplified and played out more through these videos.

"We live so much of our lives online, but the impact of that can lead to violence on the streets."

He said that the "phenomenon" of county lines - networks used by gangs to deal drugs outside of cities - has fueled the problem.

He said: "The thing that has changed has been this phenomenon of country lines, and how this drugs trade of young people being trafficked out into different parts of the country to sell drugs.

"That has changed some of the challenge we have. Some of the protection of identifying young people at risk, why this prevention aspect is so important. This has changed since some of the challenges that were being experienced 10 years ago. "