Excessive red tape is threatening sports and leisure activities for young people, a report by the Audit Commission has found. Michael O’Higgins, chairman of the commission, described the grants system for such projects as “a dog’s breakfast”. The report, Tired of Hanging Around, shows that facilities such as football pitches and youth clubs help keep young people out of trouble, but youth workers spend a third of their time managing budgets and chasing funding. On average, projects are funded from three sources. In some cases the cost of bidding for grants exceeds the amount being requested.