THE streets of London are not paved with gold, but to youngsters it can seem that way.

Their experience of the capital is often restricted to what they see in the media and the occasional sight-seeing trip. Little wonder their view is distorted.

The London-obsessed national media give the impression that this is the only place worth living. Television regularly glamorises life in the capital. The hugely popular series This Life, for example, depicted the exciting social life enjoyed by a group of young Londoners.

Young people visiting the capital for the first time usually find it exhilarating. The chic shops and bars, and above all the fast pace of life, reinforce the sense that London is the centre of the universe.

As countless young people have discovered, however, London has a grubbier, sadder side. Too many have been lured there looking for thrills only to discover that it can be the loneliest place on earth.

London is the last place to be if you have no money and no friends. Youngsters in this situation are very vulnerable to exploitation. Once they are lost in London's twilight world, it is hard to find them again.

Rather than let young people discover London's darker side when it is too late, the Ryedale Detached Youth Work Project has come up with the brilliant idea of showing it to them beforehand. It is hosting an alternative sight-seeing tour.

Six young people who are considering a move to a big city will be shown around some of London's most deprived areas. They will also visit homeless hostels and soup kitchens.

This is not an attempt to crush their ambitions. Rather it is an eye-opening exercise.

The message is a positive one: make sure you have a job and somewhere to live before the big move.

London's streets are not paved with gold, but with cold, hard concrete - as the many young people sleeping rough there can verify.