‘Death, prison or the loss of your sanity’: A decade of county lines leaves its scars on children
A decade on from when authorities identified the emergence of “county lines” drug dealing, children exploited by the trade are now often either dead, in prison or have been sectioned with mental health problems caused by the trauma.
Sky News has spoken to parents and former child runners who say the long-term impact is devastating, as new figures show the problem shows no sign of abating.
In the last 12 months, police referred 3,200 vulnerable people, mostly children, to support services – in the latest crackdown on child exploitation within country lines gangs. Some 1,200 gang members were arrested in the same period.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Death, prison or loss of your sanity’
“Lucy” was a drug runner featured in a Sky News film in 2018 on the exploitation of children used as drug runners.
Aged 13, she was set up to be robbed by her own gang during a trip from London to Southampton, then stabbed as punishment, and debt-bonded so she would run drugs for free. At the same age she was also made pregnant by one of the gang members.
Now in her early 20s she says the experience traumatised her, and she was sectioned with severe mental health problems.
She says: “My paranoia just overtook me. I was so paranoid all the time, like having to lock the doors, checking the windows, checking behind me walking in the street, not being able to breathe really, just constantly on edge.
“I was afraid of them finding me, or getting attacked again, or them making me work and feeling like a slave.”
Lucy currently lives in a refuge, in hiding from a violent man.
Amanda Stephens’ son, Olly, was set up and robbed by his own gang
‘That’s the cruelty of it all’
Amanda Stephens’ son, Olly, had a similar experience to Lucy when he was 13. Olly was set up and robbed by his own gang on a trip to London from Reading.
Amanda says: “It wasn’t until he spoke quite honestly with the social worker, he said, Olly, you were set up. Olly thought they were his friends and that’s the cruelty of it all.”
Read more from Sky News:
Courts in ‘calamitous’ state
Reeves faces rural Labour rebellion
Olly was autistic and vulnerable to influence. Amanda noticed his group of friends changed when he moved to secondary school and his locator on his phone sometimes placed him further away from home than he should be, but he refused to say what was going on.
“We lost control completely of him as our child.”
Olly did warn his father that some children wanted to stab him – and tragically, despite his parents’ efforts to keep him safe, in January 2021, Olly was lured to a field by a 14-year-old girl, where he was stabbed to death by two boys aged 13 and 14.
Pic: iStock
Vulnerable people ‘exploited’
It was August 2015 when a report by the National Crime Agency said the Home Office had “identified a growing body of intelligence… that vulnerable young people are being exploited in order to facilitate the running of street level dealing”.
It added: “‘County Lines’ is a national issue involving the use of mobile phone ‘lines’ by groups to extend their drug dealing business into new locations outside of their home areas.”
This led to a wave of knife crime among young people, and a new law recognising the exploitation of children under the Modern Slavery Act in 2015.
Mother says her son was ‘radicalised’
One parent, “Laura”, told Sky News she felt like her son had been “radicalised” into drug dealing and acted like he was “on remote control”, once jumping out of her car on the school run after one gang member sent him a text.
Like Lucy, Laura’s son ended up being sectioned in his late teens and needing ongoing mental health support.
Sarah says the long-term impact on her son has been devastating.
Every gift came at a price
Sarah, who doesn’t want us to use her surname, says her son’s involvement in county lines began when he was offered a McDonald’s aged 12, in return for running an errand.
She says every gift came at a price: “So, they would give him the trainers, give him a bike, the coat, and everything they gave him were actually in their benefit, because if he was warm, he wasn’t coming home. If he could get around faster, he could drop more. They would act like it was a gift, but, actually, you had to pay it off in bits.”
Sarah says, 10 years on, the long-term impact has been devastating.
“Currently, he’s serving a custodial sentence for possession with intent to sell. Mentally I think he’s traumatised. Physically, he has scars from knife injuries, fractures. A face that I will never recognise, because people have broken that a couple of times.”
The play CODE by Justice In Motion was inspired by a Sky News report
‘The consequences are death, prison, or the loss of your sanity’
A Sky News report in 2018 called Behind County Lines, which included Lucy’s story, was part of the inspiration for a play called CODE by Justice In Motion, which tours schools and town centres.
Both Amanda and Sarah believe every child and parent should watch the production, which tells a story similar to Lucy’s of a child groomed into joining a county lines gang.
Rapper Still Shadey
Lead actor and rapper Still Shadey, who grew up in south London, had friends exploited by county lines gangs. He says: “The outcomes are clear. The consequences are death, prison, or the loss of your sanity.”
The problem has had less publicity recently but continues to be a major focus for police with 2,300 “deal lines” closed by operations in the 12 months since July 2024, the highest annual figures since the government’s County Lines Programme began in 2019.
‘Disgusting and cowardly’
Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones said: “The exploitation of children and vulnerable people in this way is disgusting and cowardly. County lines gangs are also driving knife crime in our communities, and I want criminals to know that we will not let them get away with it. We will be relentless in going after these gangs.”
The government has already announced new offences as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, including “criminal exploitation of children”, which seek to increase convictions against exploiters and deter gangs from enlisting children. It will carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in June.
England, who are in Group L, will begin their tournament against Croatia in Dallas at 4pm EST (9pm BST) on 17 June. They will then go on to face Ghana in Boston at 4pm EST (9pm BST) on 23 June and Panama in New Jersey, New York, at 5pm EST (10pm BST) on 27 June.
Scotland are in Group C, and their first match will be against Haiti in Boston at 9pm EST on 13 June (2am GMT the following morning).
They will go up against Morocco also in Boston at 6pm EST (11pm GMT) on 19 June and then Brazil in Miami at 6pm EST (11pm GMT) on 24 June.
Fans are expected to rush to sort their travel and accommodation plans now that they know where and when the matches take place.
Read more: Unapologetically political – a World Cup draw like no other
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
England and Scotland learn World Cup fate
Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to find out if they will qualify.
Wales must face a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff, then either Italy or Northern Ireland, if they are victorious.
If they beat these play-off opponents, they will secure their place in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
However, Northern Ireland will also be vying to guarantee their spot in the same group if they can beat Italy and then either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
UK
World Cup 2026 – who England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will play
Scotland and England now know who they will face in the group stage of the next summer’s world cup.
But the fates of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales won’t be determined until they compete in pre-tournament play-off matches in March.
England are in Group L along with Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Their first match will be against Croatia, who beat them in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Pic: Reuters
Scotland’s first match will be against Haiti, in Group C.
Brazil and Morocco are the other Group C teams – both countries were also in the same opening group as Scotland in the 1998 World Cup in France.
Trump and Infantino at the World Cup draw
Wales have yet to find out if they will qualify as they must face a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff, and then either Italy or Northern Ireland, if they are victorious.
Read more:
EasyJet staff at Luton Airport to strike over Christmas
If they can overcome these play-off opponents then they will secure their place in Group B along with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. But Northern Ireland will also be vying and hoping to guarantee their spot in the same group if they can beat Italy and then either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Bring it on!’: Scotland fans react to World Cup draw
The Republic of Ireland also need to get through the play-offs first and are paired against the Czech Republic for their semi-final. Should Ireland win that match, they will need to beat either North Macedonia or Denmark to get to the finals where an opening group containing joint hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea awaits.
This was a World Cup draw like no other. Crafted less for the teams but for one man.
The choice of venue. The creation of a new trophy. The closing music act.
Donald Trump was lavished with the adulation he craves by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and feels others unfairly deny him.
Knowing how much being overlooked by the Nobel Committee hurt the US president, there was Mr Infantino with FIFA’s newly-created Peace Prize to hand over. And a medal for Mr Trump to wear.
“This is truly one of the great honours of my life,” he said. “And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this. We saved millions and millions of lives.”
This was all on the stage in front of an audience who turned up to find out who they will be playing at the World Cup.
England handed an undaunting route past Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Scotland paired with newcomers Haiti before tricky reunions from their last men’s World Cup in 1998 against Brazil and Morocco.
Pic: Reuters
But the show before the draw could even begin – presided over by Rio Ferdinand – took almost as long as a football match, at 87 minutes after the noon kick-off was delayed.
There was a walk of self-promotion to complete – “I guess they have to wait” – before taking his seat in the Kennedy Center. Or the Trump Kennedy Center as the president takes to calling the venue picked 1.5 miles from the White House.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
England manager Thomas Tuchel reacts to draw
“It was falling apart,” he said, delaying the walk into the auditorium. “And now it’s, it’s pretty much back.”
Mr Infantino could only watch on, beaming, at his friend.
“We had a dead country,” Mr Trump went on, “and now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world”.
There was the awkwardness of being reminded, before receiving the peace accolade, about threats to launch military strikes on Venezuela to stop the drugs trade.
“I did settle eight wars, and we have a ninth coming,” he swatted away the question. “Which nobody’s ever done before. But I want to really save lives. I don’t need prizes.”
But FIFA knew how much he wanted more gold for the collection with the prize.
More on this story:
What draw means for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
And for all the mockery and disdain targeted at FIFA, how many sports would relish having the US president spend several hours attending a procedural event determining the placing of teams in groups for a tournament?
How many would dish out the same flattery to secure direct lines to the leader of the nation staging their championship?
Many have benefited from Mr Trump’s stardust and swagger being attached to this spectacle.
Even Port Vale’s most famous fan – Robbie Williams – secured a walk-on role, exceeding his profile this side of the Pond.
And the Village People are reaping the rewards of becoming the unlikeliest of Trump hype acts.
The festivities ended with eyes fixed back up to the presidential seating and the YMCA dance being performed.
This was an afternoon that dispelled any pretence that FIFA keeps a distance from politics. It was unapologetically political. But few speak out in the FIFA world as the redistributed wealth keeps rolling back in their direction.
It would be easy to forget this isn’t entirely America’s World Cup. They’re sharing hosting with Canada and Mexico.
Read more from Sky News:
Netflix agrees blockbuster $72bn deal for Warner Bros studios
Several sites go down after Cloudfare outage
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Bring it on!’: Scotland fans react to World Cup draw
And eventually the spotlight was ceded to their leaders – very briefly – as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew out their countries’ names.
But it did live up to FIFA’s mantra that football can unite the world.
The neighbours were brought together here on a snowy day in Washington. And tensions – often stoked by Mr Trump with Canada and Mexico – thawed in the name of football.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024