Drug Dealers Dress Children As Key Workers To Evade Police

Children's Society told Sky News that young drug runners have continued to be used by "county lines" gangs since all bars, restaurants and shops have been forced to close and transport was heavily restricted.

The vulnerable youths are being dressed up as key workers by drugs gangs to evade detection from the police during the lockdown.

Sources have told us that drug dealers have been dressing up as dog walkers and meeting in busy hospital and supermarket car parks during the lockdown.

It comes as Scotland Yard reveals around 10% of county lines have been shut down after the biggest ever police operation to tackle the drugs-trafficking phenomenon.

In November last year, the Metropolitan Police teamed up with several other forces in England and Wales to launch a nationwide blitz to take out illegal drugs gangs after a £20m funding boost from the Home Office. A further £5m was announced last week.

The growth in the exploitative trade that sees organised gangs moving drugs out of urban areas to smaller towns or villages has reached the point where there are between 800 to 1,000 drug supply lines actively in operation.