County lines in Cornwall: the signs a child is being exploited

You might spot a teenager with a phone that will not stop buzzing, a second handset in their pocket and expensive clothes you would not expect them to have. On their own, each one is easy to explain away. Devon and Cornwall Police are asking people across Cornwall to look again, because the young person in front of you could be the one being harmed.

What county lines really means

County lines is a form of exploitation. Organised criminal gangs groom, control and manipulate children and vulnerable adults for profit. Young people are pressured into transporting drugs, carrying weapons and travelling long distances under threat, intimidation or violence. The drugs are the product. The children are how the gangs move them.

Devon and Cornwall Police are supporting a new national campaign from the charity Crimestoppers called “Missing, controlled and exploited: the hidden reality of county lines in the UK”. It features on the force’s social media from 21st July and highlights how anyone can pass information to police while keeping complete anonymity.

The scale of it

The figures Crimestoppers has released show how widespread the threat is:

• 86,900 missing incidents involving children in care in England
• 39,200 children recorded as missing from education
• 15,500 children identified as at risk of criminal exploitation across the UK
• Up to 11,600 children estimated to be at risk from county lines exploitation
• 3 in 4 county lines offenders are linked to violence or weapons offences

The warning signs

Children caught up in county lines are groomed, manipulated and controlled by organised criminals. When they go missing, sometimes repeatedly, that is often a key warning sign that something is wrong. Violence and weapon carrying are frequently linked to county lines, as are changes in behaviour.

Other signs that could point to exploitation include:

• Meeting up with people outside a usual friend group, especially adults
• Having more than one phone
• Getting hold of expensive clothes

If you see children who appear to be involved in criminal activity, they may in fact be victims. Recognising the signs and speaking up could help protect a child from serious harm.

What reporting has already achieved

Detective Inspector Steve Moorcroft for Devon and Cornwall Police said reports from the public are central to understanding the true picture.

“County lines continues to affect communities across the UK, but much of the activity remains hidden,” Steve said. “The importance of reports from the public to help us see the extent of criminal activity, and where it’s happening, cannot be overemphasised, but we understand why crime often goes unreported.”

He put much of the reluctance down to doubt. “People are unsure what they have seen and they fear being wrong about it. They may also worry about getting involved. This is why people should be assured that if they would rather not speak to the police, they can make a report through Crimestoppers and remain 100% anonymous.”

The results, he said, are real. “As an example, during the four and a half years that Operation Scorpion has been running across the South West, 1,380 people including children have been identified and taken away from organised criminal exploitation to be safeguarded. Intelligence received from the public plays a very big part in the success of this work.”

Operation Scorpion is coordinated activity involving Devon and Cornwall Police, Avon and Somerset Police, Dorset Police, Gloucestershire Constabulary and Wiltshire Police, alongside many partner agencies, aimed at making the region a hostile environment for those who deal drugs and safeguarding people at risk. Each operation lasts a week, and there have been 15 since 2022. All the forces involved carry out this work year round in their own areas as well.

How to report what you have seen

If you have seen or suspect criminal exploitation and would rather not speak to the police, you can tell Crimestoppers what you know by phone on 0800 555 111, or online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, always with 100% anonymity. There is more information about criminal exploitation, and a route to make an anonymous report, on the Crimestoppers county lines campaign page.

“Information received from the public is vital to the police in understanding where the exploitation of children is taking place and who is involved,” Steve said.