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24 hours in police custody highlights County Lines exploitation
Channel 4’s latest episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody reveals how County Lines gangs exploit vulnerable children across the UK. Learn how to spot the signs of child exploitation.
Date: 15th July 2025 | Author: Con Enzler
‘Lost Boys’
The latest episode of Channel 4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody sheds light on County Lines’ criminal exploitation of young people in Bedfordshire.
‘Lost Boys’, which aired on Sunday 13th July, opens with a worried mum reporting that her 14-year-old child is missing. More comes to light when police raid a house believed to be linked to drugs supply.
As officers investigate the role of those involved, it’s revealed how gang members are grooming and exploiting young boys into dealing drugs for them.
The episode highlights Bedfordshire Police’s Lost Boys campaign, which urges the public to help spot the signs of child exploitation.
This sort of thing doesn’t just happen in Bedfordshire. It’s a massive issue putting vulnerable children at risk all over the UK.
The nationwide threat of County Line Gangs
Around 14,500 children are victims or at risk of criminal exploitation in the UK*.
And a huge part of this exploitation is perpetrated by County Line gangs.
These drug gangs prey on vulnerable children with threats and false promises, coercing them into transporting drugs and cash. They often recruit children through social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, making it difficult for authorities to track them down.
Many County Line gangs rely on the railways to move cargo across long distances, undetected.
The children and young people involved often suffer huge emotional and physical harm from the trauma, violence and constant fear that accompany this lifestyle.
How Railway Children tackle County Lines exploitation
Vulnerable children who run away from home and spend time around transport hubs are at a high risk of being targeted by gangs.
We work closely with the rail industry and transport communities to safeguard children at risk on the network and intervene when young people are exploited.
Through our Safeguarding on Rail scheme, we’ve trained thousands of rail staff to identify vulnerable children and take steps to support them.
And our At Risk Right Here Right Now campaign raises awareness and educates the public about the risks to vulnerable young people at rail stations.
We’re doing everything we can to stop County Lines from harming children.
But we need your help.
Spot the signs of exploitation
We all have a part to play in tackling child exploitation.
For parents and carers, there are lots of common signs to look out for, which might indicate that your child is involved in criminal activity.
Have they been missing from home? Displaying antisocial behaviour and distancing themselves from family and friends? Are they hanging around a new crowd? Remember that no matter how tough they may be acting the outside, they’re still a child.
Next time you’re on a train, look around. Trust your gut. If a young person looks off, don’t ignore it.
Report anything suspicious to British Transport Police by texting 61016. You could be saving that young person from a life of danger and abuse.
*County Lines Programme Data, UK Home Office, 2025.
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