St Giles Trust is at the forefront of tackling county lines through prevention, intervention, and long-term support for young people at risk.
As a leading charity working to stop county lines, we provide life-changing support to help young people find a positive path away from violence. Through education, mentoring, and frontline interventions, we work directly with those affected to create safer communities for all.
What is County Lines?
‘County lines’ refers to the practice of urban drug gangs expanding their operations into rural and coastal towns, exploiting young people and vulnerable adults to transport, store, and sell drugs. These gangs use dedicated mobile phone lines—hence the term "county lines" - to manage and control drug distribution networks over long distances.
While County Lines is not new, it also isn’t the same as it once was. This is a growing and evolving form of activity that is affecting more groups of vulnerable people. The gangs that push county lines are finding new ways every day to develop and grow. St Giles is on the ground working with young and vulnerable people, discovering the ways the gangs are working so we can provide tailored and effective to support for all victims.
This growing form of child criminal exploitation often sees children as young as 11 coerced into dangerous and illegal activity, using manipulation, threats, debt bondage, and violence to trap them in a cycle that is extremely difficult to escape alone.
How does County Lines affect young people?
Young people are at the heart of this crisis. Many are targeted because they are vulnerable: they may be in care, struggling at school, or living in poverty. Gangs offer them money, status, and a sense of belonging—then trap them in a world of fear and danger.
- Children involved in county lines are often subject to physical violence, intimidation, and sexual exploitation.
- They may go missing for days or weeks, forced to travel long distances to unfamiliar areas.
- These young people carry drugs and cash, often under threat of severe punishment if anything goes wrong.
This is child criminal exploitation, and it’s happening in towns, cities, and villages across the UK.
How Does County Lines Affect Communities?
The presence of gangs in the UK - especially those operating through county lines—causes ripple effects that destabilise entire communities:
- Increased gang violence and street crime
- Higher levels of fear and intimidation among residents
- Vulnerable people being exploited in their own homes through "cuckooing"-where gangs take over someone’s property to use as a drug base
- Strain on local services including schools, social care, and policing
At 15, I was forced into a gang, made to push drugs in random towns, no family, no friends, I was alone. I needed support.
The numbers behind County Lines
- Over 1,000 drug lines in circulation with over half active at any one time.
- 82% of potential victims of county lines exploitation are under 18.
- More than 4,800 vulnerable individuals offered support to escape exploitation.
- £60,000 or more turned over every couple of months from some lines, highlighting how people can’t just walk away.
St Giles in schools
St Giles Trust employs a multi-faceted approach to combat county lines exploitation:
- Education & Prevention
We conduct workshops in schools and communities to raise awareness about the dangers of county lines, helping young people recognize and avoid exploitation. - One-to-One Support
Our trained professionals provide personalized support to individuals affected by county lines, assisting them in breaking free from exploitation and rebuilding their lives. - Community Engagement
We work closely with local communities to identify at-risk individuals and provide the necessary resources and support to prevent exploitation.
These sessions ensure young people are aware of the signs of exploitation and grooming so they can safely avoid or exit these situations.
We deliver awareness and intervention sessions in schools through:
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- School assemblies led by mentors with lived experience
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- One-to-one mentoring
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- Education around grooming, exploitation, and gang avoidance
These sessions ensure young people are aware of the signs of exploitation and grooming so they can safely avoid or exit these situations.
St Giles Tackling County Lines
St Giles Trust employs a multi-faceted approach to combat county lines exploitation:
Education & Prevention
We conduct workshops in schools and communities to raise awareness about the dangers of county lines, helping young people recognize and avoid exploitation.
One-to-One Support
Our trained professionals provide personalized support to individuals affected by county lines, assisting them in breaking free from exploitation and rebuilding their lives.