Corby pupils receive lessons from the police on the dangers of county lines

Students from Corby’s Lodge Park Academy received lessons from Northamptonshire Police on county lines and recognising the signs of exploitation.

The initiative was led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Rogers as part of Northamptonshire Police’s week of action tackling drug harm.

On Thursday (February 9), Detective Constable Neil Carr visited the Corby school to speak to Year 8 students about spotting suspicious activity and understanding how criminals operate to recruit young people into drug dealing.

Throughout the week, Det Con Carr spoke to more than 2,500 students in eight schools across north Northamptonshire.

Det Con Carr said: “Prevention and intervention is a key part of tackling drug harm in our community. Drug dealers will target young people around this age, so it’s important we deliver this message to help them spot the signs of grooming if it happens to them.

“The feedback from the schools has been fantastic, and crucially the sessions have been well received by the students.”

Nikki O’Brien, assistant principal at Lodge Park Academy, said: “We had an amazing two sessions with an experienced police officer who really engaged with the students and made a scary topic safe and understandable.

“Working with partners adds value to our curriculum and encourages students to build positive relationships with the police and other agencies.”

If you have any information or concerns about county lines activity in the community, please visit the Northamptonshire Police website, or contact Fearless anonymously at www.fearless.org.