County lines drug gangs should be treated the same way as terrorism, ministers told
MP John Woodcock is hosting a conference on the county lines scourge in Parliament today
THE county lines crisis has got so bad it should be treated in the same way as terrorism, ministers will be told today.
A campaigning MP is unveiling a new plan to tackle county lines - which sees gangs use children to transport drugs around the country.
John Woodcock says a single police force should take responsibility for stamping out the practice nationwide.
Currently counter-terror operations are the only area of law enforcement dealt with by just one force, the Metropolitan Police.
But Mr Woodcock is hosting a conference on county lines where he will try to persuade policing minister Nick Hurd to apply the same treatement to county lines.
There are believed to be at least 700 of the "lines" operating around the UK, funnelling drugs from big cities into small towns.
In London, more than 4,000 children have been caught up in the phenomenon because gang bosses prefer to use accomplices with no criminal record.
Mr Woodcock, the independent MP for Barrow and Furness, said: “Drug gangs are becoming more sophisticated and reaching into areas like Barrow which used to be relatively quiet, so we all need to raise our game in response.
"Police forces are doing their best to work together despite scarce resources but it is surely time to treat county lines and other organised crime like we treat terrorism and give certain officers greater powers to pursue the problem wherever it leads."
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Today's conference will see politicians from across the spectrum discuss the crisis with senior police officers and others.
In a separate development, the Home Office last night published new posters aimed at helping landlords and letting agents spot the signs of county lines activity.
The ads warn that tenants who pay several months of rent upfront, can't provide references and won't let agents into their property could be involved in gangs.
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