County Lines Programme data
Updated 30 December 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-offices-county-lines-programme-data/county-lines-programme-data
To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade and take back our streets, it is crucial that we tackle the gangs that lure children and young people into crime and run county lines through violence and exploitation.
Home Office estimates show that approximately 15,500 children were identified as at risk or involved in child criminal exploitation in the year ending March 2025, and we know this is likely to be a significant underestimate on the scale of the problem.
County Lines is the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. It is strongly linked to violent offending, including knife crime and violence against women and girls.
Through the County Lines Programme, we are targeting exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade. It also provides specialist support for children and young people to escape county lines and child criminal exploitation.
In addition, the programme includes investment in law enforcement intensification, primarily focused in the 4 police force areas from which the majority of county lines originate (referred to as ‘exporter forces’) and in the British Transport Police.
These figures have been collated using self-reported management information from individual forces and the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC). Figures have been quality assured by forces, however they may be subject to improvements and change.
County Lines Programme Taskforce results
The County Lines Programme Taskforces refer to the Metropolitan Police Service, Merseyside Police, West Midlands Police, Greater Manchester Police and British Transport Police. The table below sets out the Programme Taskforce results since July 2024 including the results for Q2-Q4 FY 24/25 (nine months) and results for Q1 -Q2 FY 25/26 (six months).
| Metric | July 2024 to March 2025 | April 2025 to September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Line closures | 1,225 | 1,094 |
| Arrests | 2,038 | 1,583 |
| Line holders charged through Type 1 line closures | 808 | 554 |
| Individuals referred for safeguarding | 2,192 | 1,846 |
| Knives / sharp objects seized | 403 | 359 |
County Lines Programme Surge Fund results
The County Lines Programme Surge Fund is an additional funding stream for other forces in England and Wales that are not already receiving dedicated funding from the County Lines Programme to support operational efforts to tackle their local county lines threat.
The table below sets out the Surge Fund results since July 2024 including the results for Q2-Q4 FY 24/25 (nine months) and results for Q1 -Q2 FY 25/26 (six months).
| Metric | July 2024 to March 2025 | April 2025 to September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Line closures | 498 | 225 |
| Line holders charged | N/A | 252 |
| Total individuals arrested | 3,278 | 1,327 |
| Individuals referred for safeguarding | N/A | 285 |
| Knives/sharp objects seized | N/A | 161 |
County Lines Programme specialist support service
Children and young people supported
Between July 2024 and September 2025, 622 children and young people (i.e. unique cases) have been supported by the County Lines Programme specialist support service. This includes all individuals receiving ongoing support on 1 July 2025 and all new cases in subsequent reporting periods as a cumulative total.
Summary of Information
In total, from July 2024 to September 2025, law enforcement activity conducted through the County Lines Programme has resulted in 3,042 line closures, 8,226 arrests (including at least 1,614 line holders charged), and at least 4,323 safeguarding referrals and 923 knives seized. 622 children and young people have also received support from the dedicated County Lines specialist support service in that time.
The number of line holders charged, safeguarding referrals and knives seized does not include results from the Surge Fund between July 2024 and March 2025, as these were not deconflicted from the Taskforce results and are therefore excluded from the total figures to avoid any potential risk of duplication.
Figures reported
Line closures
‘Line closure’ refers to the closure of a county line through the arrest and charge of a line holder (previously referred to as a ‘Type 1’ line closure). NCLCC determines when a line was closed by using evidence that the controlling gang is no longer capable of distributing drugs using that telephone number, with check backs to ensure the telephone number remains out of use.
Arrests
The number of arrests refer to arrests made through police activity that can be attributed to the County Lines Programme i.e. those that would not have happened in the absence of County Lines Programme funding.
Individuals referred for safeguarding
The number of individuals referred for safeguarding are defined as those that were referred as a result of County Lines Programme-funded activity to specialist support providers or statutory safeguarding partners i.e. those that would not have happened in the absence of County Lines funding.
Line holders charged through line closures
Line closures under the county line programme include the charge of a line holder. However, some line holders control multiple county lines, so one line closure does not necessarily equate to one line holder charged. This statistic captures the total number of line holders charged through the County Lines Programme Taskforces.
Knives/sharp objects seized
The number of sharp objects and bladed weapons (e.g. knives) seized during police activity that can be attributed to the County Lines Programme i.e. would not have happened in the absence of County Lines Programme funding.
Children and young people supported
The number of individual children and young people (i.e. unique cases) supported by the County Lines Programme specialist support service since July 2025. This includes all individuals receiving ongoing support on 1 July 2025 and all new cases in subsequent reporting periods as a cumulative total.
Historic County Lines Programme data
An overview of the results of the activity of the County Lines Programme since its launch in November 2019 can be found at the National Archives.