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Children as young as six-years-old are being targeted by criminal gangs to deal drugs on Teesside .

The problem of "county lines" - where vulnerable youngsters are used by organised criminal networks to do their bidding has hit the area, Tuesday's Safer Stockton Partnership heard.

Detective Chief Inspector Wendy Tinkler offered a stark update on the exploitation of youngsters and how "county lines" was now being tackled.

Ms Tinkler added: "We've got an investigation at the moment with a child who is six in Cleveland.

"Why are these organised crime groups targeting young children? The unfortunate thing is it is so easy to find the next child."

Simply defined, "county lines" is where someone is taken from one area to another for the purpose of committing a crime - which mainly involves illegal drugs.

Children are particularly vulnerable.

(Image: Runcorn Weekly News)

"It could be somebody who is in Stockton town centre, taken down to the Riverside and made to sell drugs," said Ms Tinkler.

But the panel was told how exploited and manipulated children could be doing things which "appeared consensual".

"It does not necessarily need to have physical contact - it could be something that can be arranged over the internet or on a phone," added Ms Tinkler.

"Constant use of the internet on phones or laptop can be a sign.

"It can involve things to entice them such as gifts or money but also threats - so you could get a young person forced to commit crime because they're frightened if they don't do that, then there's going to be repercussions against their mum for example."

Common signs of vulnerable children being exploited include youngsters persistently going missing from school or home and being found out of the area, multiple mobile phones, unexplained injuries and unexplained money or clothes.

A presentation prepared for the meeting revealed white British children were being targeted as they were more likely to evade detection - with those aged between 12 and 16 exploited the most.

Those in care, youngsters excluded from mainstream schools and those with physical and mental learning disabilities were also listed as vulnerable.

Ms Tinkler told the panel children who were committing crime on behalf of others were under threat of violence and being coerced by others.

'Taken advantage of'

"More often that not, because of their ages, there is no criminal investigation or progression to court," she added.

"And the perpetrator moves on to the next child.

"The shameful fact is they are a commodity and disposable - that's in harsh terms.

"They don't think about the person, they think about the profit."

But the inspector also said it was important to understand these children were victims and not criminals.

She added: "They're young children who have been taken advantage of - the problem we have got is some of these children involved are difficult children. They persistently go missing from home and they will probably engage in anti-social behaviour and be highlighted on a regular basis to the police.

"What we've got to understand is we can't get that tunnel vision that these children have made a choice to do what they're doing.

"It's important to understand when they're being exploited, it's very likely they are being trafficked and they are trafficking victims."

The partnership began looking at county lines last year to try and assess how far it had reached in Stockton.

Stockton councillor Steve Nelson said he understood Cleveland had it's own "internally developed drug trade" and asked if more children were being moved into Cleveland's force area from outside or taken outside to other areas from Teesside.

Ms Tinkler said county lines wasn't necessarily about children crossing borders - adding investigations at the moment were about youngsters who lived in Cleveland.

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Cllr Jim Beall said exploitation was the common theme.

The cabinet member added: "One could say because there are enough vulnerable children in this area, there is no need to import - whereas in some of the other areas they are deliberately imported from more disadvantaged areas."