County Lines gangs preying on Powys' most vulnerable

Councillor Elwyn Vaughan said he has seen first-hand what the County Lines drugs gangs are doing to towns in Mid Wales and Shropshire.

He recently tried top help a youngster who had seen his home taken over by "cuckooing" dealers, and at last month's Powys County Council meeting he had the authority back a motion to provide help for youngsters in the area who get sucked into the drug world.

In recent months, Dyfed-Powys Police and West Mercia Police have arrested and charged a series of people, as they attempt to crack down on drug dealing in the region.

Councillor Vaughan said: "At this very moment there are gangs from Liverpool and the Midlands taking possession of the streets of Newtown, drowning the area with hard drugs, supplying other towns, watching out for fragile young people in order to draw them into the net.

“They watch pharmacies such as Boots and Lloyds and even the surgery, to see which young people leave with large packs of medicine – a tell-tale sign of their fragility.

“And then, having hooked them, drawing them in like a fish into a net, so that it’s impossible to break free, they take over their homes, cuckooing, taking everything."

Councillor Vaughan believes the council hasn't been providing for young adults, and his motion put forward a host of steps, including co-operation between agencies, and putting things in place such as wellbeing projects in secondary schools and holding awareness events with young farmers.

He said: "Because of this combination of challenges for our young people, we need for an easily accessible programme of support and encouragement for 16 to 25 year olds.

“Adult Services should be much more than an old people’s service."

Other proposals in the motion included helping charities and third sector providers become sustainable.