What Is County Lines? A Complete Guide for Schools and Parents
County lines is one of the most serious — and most misunderstood — forms of child criminal exploitation in the UK. This guide explains exactly what it is, who is at risk, the warning signs, and what schools and parents must do when they suspect a young person is being exploited.
Photo: The Safeguard Hub — county lines and child criminal exploitation
⚠ County lines is a form of modern slavery. Any young person you suspect is involved must be referred to your local MASH immediately — do not wait for proof.
What Is County Lines?
"County lines" refers to criminal networks — often based in large cities — that use a dedicated mobile phone "line" to sell drugs into smaller towns, coastal areas, and rural communities — often, but not always, across county borders. Because adults in these networks face serious criminal risk, they systematically recruit and exploit children to transport and sell drugs for them. This is child criminal exploitation (CCE) — a form of abuse that is illegal regardless of whether the child appears willing.
The NPCC 2024–25 County Lines Strategic Threat Assessment identifies over 6,500 lines across England, Scotland and Wales — a figure that includes internal lines operating within a single area.[1] The NCA's separate 2023–24 count of ~2,000 uses a narrower methodology focused on lines crossing force boundaries. In 2023–24, approximately 14,500 children were identified as being at risk of or involved in child criminal exploitation in England and Wales (Department for Education, 2024) — a figure considered a significant underestimate given the hidden nature of exploitation.[2]
How Children Are Recruited
Grooming for county lines rarely looks like coercion at first. Common recruitment tactics include:
- Gifting — expensive trainers, phones, money, food, or drugs offered "for free"
- Romantic grooming — older individuals forming romantic relationships with young people (especially girls, who are then exploited)
- Peer recruitment — existing friends or siblings who are already exploited bring in younger children
- Social media — recruiters identify vulnerable young people through Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok DMs
- Debt bondage — a small debt (real or manufactured) is used as leverage to force a child to "work off" what they owe
Warning Signs: What Schools and Parents Should Look For
High Concern — Refer to MASH
Unexplained cash, new phones or clothing; being found in another town or county; carrying or concealing drugs; injuries inconsistent with explanation; cuckooing — where a gang forcibly takes over a vulnerable person's home to use as a drug dealing base, often through threats or exploiting addiction
Moderate Concern — Record and Monitor
Unexplained absences; associating with unknown older individuals; becoming secretive about phone activity; withdrawing from usual friends and family; changes in school behaviour or performance
Early Warning — Discuss with DSL
Receiving gifts from unknown sources; talking about a new "older friend"; interest in gang culture, music, or social media accounts associated with local gangs
What Schools Must Do
Under KCSIE 2025 (Para 31–36) and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, county lines involvement constitutes a form of abuse and must trigger a safeguarding response:
- Refer all concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) immediately — do not investigate yourself
- DSL must make a referral to the local MASH if there is reasonable cause to suspect CCE
- Record all concerns with dates, observations, and direct quotes from the child using the child's own words
- Consider a Contextual Safeguarding approach — identify other young people who may be affected through the same network
- Never confront the suspected exploiters directly — this can endanger the child
What Parents Can Do
If you believe your child may be involved in county lines, do not confront them in anger — this often pushes children further into the network. Instead: contact your local police on 101 (or 999 if in immediate danger); call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000; speak to your child's school DSL; and visit The Children's Society for family support resources.
Citations
[1] National Crime Agency (2024). County Lines Drug Supply, Vulnerability and Harm 2023–24. NCA.
[2] Children's Commissioner for England (2019). Keeping Kids Safe: Improving Safeguarding Responses to Gang Violence and Criminal Exploitation. Children's Commissioner.
[3] DfE (2025). Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025. DfE.
[4] HM Government (2026). Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026. DfE.
[5] NSPCC (2024). County Lines: Learning from Case Reviews. NSPCC.