County Lines Programme overview
Updated 5 April 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/county-lines-programme/county-lines-programme-overview
County lines
To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the gangs that lure children and young people into crime and run county lines through violence and exploitation.
‘County lines’ is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”.
It is the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation, as these gangs are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.
Home Office programme
Through our County Lines Programme, we are targeting exploitative drug dealing gangs and providing specialist support for children and young people to escape child criminal exploitation.
The Programme package includes funding to support:
- the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC)
- increased disruption on the rail networks by the British Transport Police’s County Lines Taskforce
- targeted operational activity against lines, including dedicated County Lines Taskforces in 5 major exporting force areas:
- Greater Manchester Police
- Metropolitan Police Service
- Merseyside Police
- West Midlands Police
- West Yorkshire Police
- increased support for victims of county lines and child criminal exploitation
Impact
In total, from July 2024 to December 2025, law enforcement activity conducted through the County Lines Programme resulted in:
- 3,785 line closures
- 10,127 arrests
- 2,175 line holders charged
- 5,420 individuals being referred by police to safeguarding
- 1,229 knives seized
- 748 children and young people supported by the specialist support service
The latest County Lines Programme data is available on GOV.UK.
Investment
The government has committed to investing more than £34m this financial year (26/27) in the County Lines Programme, to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade.