Helping young people stay safe: County Lines Awareness Day held at Anfield

Schools, partners and Merseyside Police joined forces this week – supported by a surprise celebrity panel – to host a county lines awareness day aimed at helping young people understand the dangers of drugs and criminal exploitation.

The event, organised by Merseyside Police’s Safer Schools Co-ordinator Faye Smith and the LFC Foundation, took place at Anfield Sports and Community Centre on Thursday 29 January.

A 100 young people aged 11-13 from schools across Liverpool and Sefton took part in a series of interactive workshops and conversations designed to explain county lines and highlight the risks of exploitation in an engaging, non-classroom environment.

The day began with a Q&A session delivered by officers from Merseyside Police and the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), who discussed what county lines is and how police work to tackle it.

The NHS Child Exploitation Team also led a workshop outlining how they identify, protect and support children who may be at risk of or experiencing criminal or sexual exploitation, including county lines.

County lines is a form of criminal exploitation where organised crime groups persuade, coerce or force children and young people to store or move drugs and money, often transporting them to different areas of the country.

Children and young people may experience exploitation in many forms, including criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation, trafficking, gang involvement and knife crime.

Later in the day, Activate Body & Mind delivered a high‑energy boxing and self‑defence session, while also speaking to students about county lines and the serious impact exploitation can have on mental health, self‑esteem and long‑term wellbeing, empowering them to build confidence and resilience.

There are many early warning signs that a young person may be at risk of grooming or exploitation, including going missing from home, unexplained money or gifts, multiple phones, changes in friendship groups or becoming increasingly secretive.

Guest speaker Angela Preston delivered a powerful session sharing her lived experience of someone close to her being drawn into county lines. Angela now delivers sessions in schools and colleges raising awareness of drugs, grooming and exploitation, and is committed to helping young people choose positive paths.

Students then took part in a series of round‑robin workshops delivered by key partners including Everton in the Community, Change Grow Live and Catch22, each providing specialist insight into topics such as positive choices, resilience, substance misuse, and how to recognise and respond to signs of grooming or exploitation. Block P, a Liverpool‑based sportswear shop, joined the event to share business and entrepreneurial skills.

To conclude the event, students were surprised with a special celebrity panel who attended to show their support and reinforce the importance of educating young people about county lines.

Hosted by former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, the panel featured boxer Tony Bellew, musician Jamie Webster, former Miss World and aerospace engineer Jessica Gagen and Liverpool actor Philip McGuinness.

The guests spoke about the importance of making positive choices, staying safe, and looking out for others. Students were given the opportunity to ask the celebrity guests questions, as well as quiz police officers about county lines, grooming and criminal exploitation.

Their presence provided students with inspiring role models and powerful messages about resilience, ambition and steering clear of harmful influences.

Faye Smith, Safer Schools Co-ordinator at Merseyside Police said:

“Today’s event brought schools, partners and police together to give young people the knowledge and confidence to recognise the signs of county lines and exploitation and to know where to turn for help. The engagement from the students was brilliant throughout.

“The surprise visit from our celebrity panel really lifted the room. Seeing successful, relatable figures from boxing, music, engineering and acting backing this message showed the students that their futures are full of possibilities.

“That inspiration, alongside practical safeguarding advice, is a powerful combination.”

Merseyside Police is committed to tackling county lines and protecting young people from criminal exploitation. The force has a dedicated team, Project Medusa, which leads on enforcement, intelligence and prevention work across the region.

This work is further supported by local policing teams, Safer Schools Officers and a wide network of partner organisations, all working together to safeguard young people and disrupt criminal activity.

If you are a young person who is worried about being involved in county lines, or knows someone who is, you can speak to an adult and let them know how you feel.

You can contact www.fearless.org who allow you to pass on information about crime anonymously, or Childline on 0800 1111. They are a private and confidential service where you can talk to counsellors about anything that is worrying you.

Keep your eyes open to exploitation, visit https://eyes-open.co.uk to learn more about the signs and how you can report.

Find out more on the Merseyside Police website.

Find the latest Liverpool news here.

Find out what’s good up North on our new platform, The Northern Guide. 

From the best hotels, beauty spots, days out, food and more up North – visit thenorthernguide.com and follow The Northern Guide on Instagram HERE.