MORE than 1,000 school pupils are to take part in a project to combat the increasing problem of city drug gangs targeting areas like South Cumbria.

Police say parents should not be complacent about their children getting caught up in the so-called "county lines" crime emanating from conurbations such as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London.

ATiC Theatre will be performing an immersive drama in Barrow for Year 9 pupils as part of a project being run by the South Cumbria Community Safety Partnership.

Three young professional actors will perform with two graduates from Brewery Youth Arts in an exhibition space at the Cooke’s Buildings in Barrow.

It is hoped that the performances, and workshops afterwards, from today until Friday, will make the youngsters aware of the dangers and allow them to explore, in a supported environment, how they would react to being confronted by the issue in real life.

There will be follow-up visits in schools from Cumbria County Council's child exploitation team.

Temporary Superintendent Matt Pearman, of Cumbria Police, said: “This is a fantastic project that we have been involved with for two years now. Performance is a safe and inclusive platform to explore and learn about complex issues such as county lines drug dealing.

“Young people from any background can find themselves in a situation where they could potentially be exploited, and we hope that these workshops will increase participant’s knowledge, and confidence to know how to respond to such situations, and to increase confidence in reporting anything that makes them feel uncomfortable to police or a responsible adult.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall said: “It is essential that we provide young people with awareness raising workshops and hard-hitting productions about how to spot the signs of county lines and organised crime gangs to help prevent them from being exploited.

“The threats from 'county line' gangs and organised crime networks can cause local misery. They often exploit vulnerable children and adults to move and store drugs and also use control, coercion, intimidation, threatening behaviour and violence.

“By being proactive in raising awareness of 'county lines', we can make sure that young people know the impact it can have on our communities, how to stay safe and also how to be more aware, ultimately protecting themselves from becoming exploited.”