Primary school children caught selling drugs
15 Sep 2006
Channel 4 News online investigation unearths Britain's youngest dealers.


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Ten-year-old children have been caught selling drugs, a Channel 4 News online investigation can reveal. Primary school children as young as nine are part of more than 50,000 children picked up by police for possessing illegal substances every year.

The Channel 4 News probe – which used Freedom of Information (FoI) powers to get figures from police forces – shows child drug dealers are working throughout the UK.

In total, four 10-year-olds were picked up by police for selling drugs in Lancashire, West Mercia, Kent and Strathclyde. In most other police force areas the youngest dealers were aged 11 or 12.

In 2005/6, police caught more than 6000 children selling drugs, from Class A substances to cannabis.

The FoI request also details the number of children caught in possession of drugs - which came to a total of 53,497 in the last financial year.

Among the figures were three nine-year-olds picked up in Worcestershire for possessing cannabis.

But it appears under-16s are not just restricting themselves to possession and supply, the FoI disclosures also show that hundreds were detected by police to be growing their own drugs.

The punishment handed out to offenders varies depending on the severity of the crime - from cautions, reprimands and warnings, to no action taken.

Story updated: 21 Sep 2006

Under 16s Drug Offences by region
Under 16s Offences by age
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