County Lines
Definition
County Lines is a form of criminal exploitation and is defined by the Home Office as:
'County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.
Gangs establish a base in the market location, typically by taking over the homes of local vulnerable adults by force or coercion in a practice referred to as 'cuckooing'. County Lines is a form of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Signs and indicators
Signs or indicators that a child is involved in County Lines (from the Children's Society website) include:
Returning home late, staying out all night, or going missing;
Being found in areas away from home;
Increasing drug use, or being found to have large amounts of drugs on them;
Being secretive about who they are talking to and where they are going;
Unexplained absences from school, college, training, or work;
Unexplained money, telephone(s), clothes, or jewellery;
Increasingly disruptive or aggressive behaviour;
Using sexual, drug-related, or violent language you wouldn't expect them to know;
Coming home with injuries or looking particularly dishevelled;
Having hotel cards or keys to unknown places.
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
Rescue & Response
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
Links for further information
Sutton LSCP, Multi-Agency Protocol for Safeguarding Adolescents
Home Office, Criminal Exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: County Lines guidance
The Children's Society, What is county lines?
The Children's Society, Victim Support, NPCC, Children and young people trafficked for the purpose of criminal exploitation in relation to County Lines: a toolkit for professionals
Youtube video, Trapped - County Lines
Safeguarding in Schools video, County Lines
Fearless Educational Resource, County Lines