Drugs running was like 'a paper round' for exploited son, mum says

A mother whose son was groomed by a gang at the age of 13 before being taken into care claims the local authority housed him "right in the centre of exploitation", despite repeated pleas for help. Within months of being recruited, she said her son was being forced to deliver drugs in Grimsby for up to 36 hours at a time – a "job" he got as easily as "a paper round".

The woman, who we are not identifying, said it took two years for North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) to move her son to safety. During that time, she said he was put at risk of continued exploitation because he was housed in accommodation she considered unsuitable.

NELC said it did not comment on individual cases, but took child criminal exploitation (CCE) extremely seriously and it was "a top priority" for the local authority and police. Home Office data obtained by the BBC shows the woman, whom we are calling Sandra, is not alone in seeing her child being drawn into the world of criminality.