Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kim McGuiness has vowed to continue the fight against 'county lines’ drugs gangs plaguing the North East.
‘County Lines’ is the practice of transporting and selling drugs in rural areas by criminal gangs. Often gangs will exploit children and vulnerable adults to sell the drugs.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the North East of England has seen the highest levels of drug misuse for a seventh year running. There have been 252 drug related deaths recorded in the region between October 2019 and April 2022.