Information Session for Parents, Carers and School Staff
Child Exploitation by County Lines
with Escapeline
Date: Wednesday, 15th January 2025
Time: Starting at 6pm with an estimated end time of 7:30pm
Venue: Room H1, Huish Sixth Form building, Huish Episcopi Academy, Langport,
TA10 9SS
We are pleased to be able to offer this session again for parents, carers, governors and
school staff. Please book your place online via the link found below.
Child Exploitation by County Lines – In the South West of the UK, including all areas of
Somerset, there is a significant rise in county lines drug crime, whereby a large amount of
young people as young as 6 years old, are being criminally and sexually exploited by
gangs. County lines are illegal business models, in which drug gangs expand their
operations from their big city bases, such as London, Birmingham and Liverpool, to smaller
cities, towns, coastal and rural areas across Britain. These gangs use their power and
position to groom, recruit and exploit children and young people for the purpose of
criminal gain.
These gangs proactively recruit young people to drug run in and around the South West,
as well as outside the area. The gangs and criminal networks use extreme violence and
intimidation towards these young people, which result in these young people feeling
trapped and scared. Some of these gangs are forcing vulnerable children from their
homes to be trafficked to other parts of the country. As well as criminal exploitation,
young people, both girls and boys, are also being sexually exploited by these gangs.
This session will raise awareness of the signs of Child Exploitation by County Line gangs,
how they operate in rural areas and how to keep children and young people safe.

To book a place to attend this session please complete this short Googleform:
https://forms.gle/JJWv7g8KG2MxbJif6