A former Barrow schoolteacher has warned of the telltale signs of drug trafficking.

Hazel Edwards, who taught at Thorncliffe School in the town and is also a councillor representing Hawcoat on Barrow Council, believes parents can have a key role to play in spotting symptoms and helping police to stop crime.

And with the council and police looking to crack down on the spread of drug supply in and out of the area, Cllr Edwards has issued advice on how they can ‘play a huge part’.

She said: "As a secondary school teacher in the town, I was always aware of drug problems in the town among pupils.

"I often worked with the police, giving information gleaned from pupils.

"The problem has increased.

"The severity of the drugs being supplied has also increased.

"Parents play a huge part in helping to stop this problem escalating.

"They know their own children.

"Please look out for changes in behaviour, what friends they have and also by keeping a close eye on where their children are during the day and evenings.

"This also applies to acts of vandalism.

"Teachers generally have good relationships with pupils and are accessible to both pupils and parents with worries.

"I fully support the police and council with the actions that they are taking to highlight the issues.

"Every resident needs to be alert in their neighbourhood."

The scourge of county lines drug crime in south Cumbria has been highlighted by the PCC and the council.

County lines is the practice of trafficking drugs into rural areas from major cities.

The traffickers recruit vulnerable children – including children in pupil referral units who have been excluded from school – as drug dealers.

Cumbria police action against the issue has included Operation Earnest, which saw more than two dozen arrests,100 stop and searches and the seizure of drugs valued at more than £100,000 in the county between September and November 2019.

A new information booklet launched by the PCC lists some of the warning signs someone might be being groomed as part of county lines crimes.

They include:

  • Going missing from school or home, and refusing to say where they were
  • Meeting with unfamiliar people who are older and not from the area, or ignoring their usual peer group
  • Using drugs, alcohol or prescribed medicine
  • Money, new clothes, mobile phones or expensive gifts that they can’t account for
  • An increase in visitors and vehicles including taxis, cycles going to a neighbour’s home, staying briefly then moving on
  • Young people travelling alone during school hours
  • Unexplained injuries or subjected to threats
  • Change in mood or temperament
  • Increased anxiety or stress

For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3ut1zch