'We talk about getting support, not stitches'

Primary schools across West Yorkshire are using theatre to help pupils understand the risks of children being involved in county lines drug gangs.

A 20‑minute monologue and workshop is touring Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield to show how criminals target young people.

The project aims to help Year 5 and 6 pupils recognise early signs of grooming and encourage them to speak to a trusted adult.

Writer and artistic director of production company Breaking Barriers Parvez Qadir said: "There is always a safe route out of being exploited."

Primary schools across the region have taken up the free sessions, which were commissioned by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) as part of a wider prevention programme.

The monologue, called Crossing the Line, is performed by an actor playing an older brother who was groomed into criminal activity at 15 and is pressured to involve his younger sibling.

Pupils then take part in a workshop exploring how gangs use gifts, money and manipulation to draw children in.

Qadir, who developed the project after working with young people affected by exploitation, said the aim was to make the subject clear and age‑appropriate.

"Many children are unaware that grooming could happen online as well as in person," he said.

"We want them to feel safe, even though they've watched something that can seem a little bit scary about how these criminal gangs will recruit young people, we want them to know that they could actually talk to someone."

Graham Jones, from Castleton Primary School, in Leeds, said the programme was particularly valuable for pupils growing up in areas where criminal activity was present.

"We're in an area of high deprivation where children can get involved with the wrong people and dragged into the wrong path," he said.

"Bringing in an external theatre group helped the message land more strongly than a classroom lesson. They don't always want to listen to us.

"Someone independent telling that story brings it to life."

Qadir said he hoped the sessions would give children the confidence to speak up if they or a friend were ever approached by someone trying to exploit them.

He said: "There's this whole thing of debunking snitches get stitches, which often young people talk about at a very young early age. Actually, we talk about you'll get support, not stitches, if anything else.

"A trusted adult might be a teacher, a family member, a youth worker or the police, but there is always someone they can talk to. There's always a safe route out."

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