Children as young as 12 arrested for drug dealing every week in 2022

DOZENS of school-age children were arrested for drug dealing every week last year, figures show.

County lines gangs recruiting members as young as 12 and 13 are believed to be behind the surge, which has involved kids selling heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis.

In all, 1,736 under-17s were held by police last year for dealing, or having such large quantities of drugs that they were suspected of doing so.

The figures cover just 30 of 44 forces in England and Wales, so the true total is likely to be closer to 2,500 — or about 50 children a week.

London had the highest number of child arrests, followed by Essex.

Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said: “We are calling on the Government to introduce a legal definition of child criminal exploitation, to make it easier for police forces and other organisations to identify and respond effectively to keep children safe.

“We are deeply concerned that young people are exposed to criminal exploitation which can have a life-changing, traumatising effect on a child if they don’t get the support they need.

“In some cases, opportunities to spot the signs are missed and this can mean they are wrongly treated as criminals.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “County lines gangs use violence and intimidation to force young and vulnerable people to do their dirty work – but there is a way out for victims.

“Through our County Lines Programme over 5,700 people have been referred for safeguarding since 2019 and we remain committed to funding victim support services.

“There may be circumstances where children commit the most serious of crimes and must be accountable to the law, but wherever possible, our aim is to get them away from their exploiters.”