Category: Alcohol and drugs

The image shows Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend walking through a town centre with two police officers in uniform. Lisa, who has blonde hair, stands on the right of the image. She wears a black jacket and trousers. The officers, one male and one female, are wearing their uniforms and police hats, and they are in the middle of a conversation with Lisa as they all walk past a branch of Marks and Spencer.

Plain-clothed officers join revellers in Epsom and Guildford for Operation Shield

Posted on | by Alex Winter

AN OPERATION that aims to tackle offences including violence against women and girls and drug dealing has seen officers flood two Surrey towns during July.

Op Shield deploys uniformed officers and PCSOs alongside plain-clothed Behavioural Detection Officers trained to spot signs of predatory behaviour.

The initiative took place in Epsom and Guildford last month as part of Surrey’s Safer Streets Summer, a major new campaign focusing on town centres. The scheme brings together partners across Surrey to deal with crimes that blight communities, including violence against women and girls, violent offending, retail crime, and anti-social behaviour. 

During the evenings, officers spoke with members of the public and handed-out anti-spiking kits, including caps to place over glasses. A police dog was also deployed in each town to search for drugs.

Plain-clothed officers joined the crowds at bars and clubs to look for anyone behaving suspiciously, before alerting uniformed colleagues.

Anyone considered a concern was stopped and spoken to by officers.

Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, joined the team in Epsom, while Deputy Commissioner Ellie Vesey-Thompson was part of foot patrols in Guildford town centre.

Preventing violence against women and girls is a key priority for both the Commissioner, who has made it a cornerstone of her Police and Crime Plan, and the Force.

Plan’s cornerstone

Lisa said: “This brilliant operation acts as a deterrent by making our town centres hostile to those who display predatory behaviour.

“Our specially-trained Behavioural Detection Officers look out for signs of suspicious behaviour, before flagging their concerns with uniformed colleagues. The aim is to prevent criminality from being committed altogether.

“These types of operations matter to the public. We want to prevent women and girls from becoming victims wherever possible, and to ensure that everyone feels confident to report offences to Surrey Police.

“Promise made”

“I fund a huge range of organisations that support those who do become victims, such as the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre in Guildford and the Surrey Domestic Abuse Partnership.

“This work is at the core of the promise I made to return to back to basics policing.

“There is a long way to go. Victims of sexual offences are facing lengthy delays to get to court, with trials now being listed in 2028 and 2029.

“That’s why our ongoing partnership work with councils, the wider criminal justice system and services across the county is so vital.”

The image shows a large white block with the letters 'Mike' and some lines carved into the surface. To the left is a policing device called a Forensigraph, which is a special type of ruler used in forensics. The block is cocaine seized in Redhill.

Drug supply gang found with 10kg of cocaine jailed during Safer Redhill crackdown

Posted on | by Alex Winter

Four members of an organised drug supply chain have been jailed after they were arrested as part of the Safer Redhill crime crackdown.

Christopher Brewer, 35, was arrested as he was caught loading a black bin liner filled with five kilograms of cocaine into the back of his Audi in Redhill last May. He had been tracked after officers suspected he was involved in the supply of class As.

Warrants were then carried out at addresses linked to Brewer and his group at addresses in Redhill, Reigate and Crawley. Vehicles linked to the group were also stopped, including a BMW being driven by Maria Rivas Santos, 32.

The BMW, which was forcibly stopped by armed officers as it travelled through London, had a further five kilograms of cocaine in a laundry bag in the boot.

Another stop resulted in the arrest of Michael White, 54, suspected of being a courier for the group. He was found with a carrier bag containing quarter of a kilo of cocaine stuffed in his underwear.

The image shows the mug shots of four people, all of whom are looking into the camera. They are, clockwise from top left, Michael White, Maria Rivas Santos, Craig Brewer and Chris Brewer.

Clockwise from top left, Michael White, Maria Rivas Santos, Craig Brewer and Chris Brewer



Safer Redhill success

Christopher Brewer’s older brother, Craig, 38, was also arrested for conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs. Wraps of cocaine were found on his person, and a further 29 grams of cocaine was found at his home, where attempts had been made to flush some of the drugs down the toilet.  Around £10,000 in cash was also found at the address.

Evidence also showed Christopher Brewer had previously purchased an additional 15kg of cocaine from a Liverpool-based crime group.

At the time of the arrests, which were made following an investigation by Surrey Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), officers and partners including the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and the YMCA had launched the Safer Redhill partnership.

The initiative utilised Safer Streets funding secured by Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend and her team, as well as an additional grant from the Commissioner’s Community Safety Fund. 

Safer Redhill adopts the Clear, Hold, Build framework. 

Drug supply chain members jailed

The three-stage approach involves police relentlessly pursuing criminals to ‘clear’ an area, maintaining a hold over the location to prevent further offending, and then working in tandem with partners to build resilience so it is less likely to be targeted in the future. 

It has resulted in a significant decrease across many crime types. In the year to April 2025, reports of shoplifting in Redhill have dropped by 16 per cent, while reported sexual assault has decreased by 19 per cent, grievous bodily harm by 43 per cent and robbery by 56 per cent. 

Last week, Brewer, Brewer, White and Santos were sentenced at Guildford Crown Court after admitting the charges against them.

  • Christopher Brewer, from Reigate, was sentenced to 11 years, six months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, two years, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to acquire/use/possess criminal property, and six months, to be served concurrently, for perverting the course of justice.
  • Craig Brewer, from Redhill, was sentenced to six years, five months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and 12 months, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to acquire/use/possess criminal property.
  • Michael White, from Crawley, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, and nine months, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to acquire/use/possess criminal property.
  • Maria Rivas Santos, from Liverpool, was sentenced to four years, eight months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Cocaine seized

Detective Constable Matt Earl, from Surrey Police’s SOCU, said: “Through the hard work and perseverance our SOCU team, supported by colleagues from various teams within Surrey Police as well as the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, were able to catch them in the act.

“Now, not only are they in jail, but 10kg of cocaine is off our streets and out of our communities hitting organised criminals where it hurts the most – in their pockets.”

Inspector Jon Vale, Borough Commander for Reigate and Banstead, said: “I know the police activity at addresses in Redhill, Reigate and Horley in May last year caused some concern amongst local residents.

“But I hope it also reassures people we are working hard to flush out criminals from our midst and have an on-going commitment to keeping our towns safe places to live and work.

“Drugs destroy communities”

“This is not just about taking drugs off the streets; drugs destroy communities by contributing to rises in other offences like violence and even untimely deaths.

“Tackling those who proliferate their use has a positive impact on the whole area and continues to be a priority for us.”

Home Office officials visited Redhill last month, with Clear, Hold, Build architect Shane Roberts calling the successes achieved “remarkable”.

Image shows a WhatsApp screen with three emojis in the text bar - an 8-ball, a snowflake and a rocket. Below the images is the typing pad.

8-ball emojis and the promise of money: How children are being drawn into county lines gangs

Posted on | by Alex Winter

CHILDREN are being recruited into county lines drug dealing gangs by criminals aided by the use a “new” form of language that parents won’t necessarily recognise, Surrey’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner says.

In an interview on BBC Radio Surrey, Ellie Vesey-Thompson said young people exploited by gangs to ferry drugs are often communicating using emojis.

Surrey Police has previously warned that some emojis – such as the snowflake, the 8-ball and the rocket – are code for drug use.

But Ellie said there is support available for children and young people at risk, and highlighted the work of Catch22.



“It saved my life”

The service’s Farnham-based Music To My Ears programme, which has been fully-funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, has so far supported more than 800 vulnerable young people.

One of its clients, 17-year-old ‘Dylan’, was dealing drugs at 13 after being recruited by a gang. Speaking to the BBC, he said the “easiest way” for gangs to contact young people is through family and friends.

“Once [that person is] approached, they get the whole friend group,” he said.

“Money is the world – you need that for food, heating, your mum’s debt. That’s your mum not crying.”

  • You can listen to the BBC Surrey interviews here from 2:06:49 (available until June 11 2025)

Children exploited

Ellie told the BBC: “Often children and vulnerable victims don’t realise they’ve been groomed and they are being exploited.

“They might get dragged in by the promise of money, or even the latest trainers.

“They’re attracted to what they perceive, and what those criminals present as, quite a glamorous lifestyle, and nowadays with advances in technology, it’s so much easier to contact young people without even their parents necessarily knowing.

“They’ve got that phone device in their pocket and use things like Snapchat, Instagram, and then they use this whole other language through emojis that parents might not instantly recognise even if they are checking phones.”

OPCC funding

Ellie said the prevention work of organisations like Catch22 is essential.

Young clients do not need to be involved in criminality to access support. Often, children and young people are referred by police, schools and social services because it is feared they are vulnerable to exploitation.

Over the past four years, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has committed almost £400,000 to Music To My Ears. Clients have the opportunity to explore music production, photography, film-making and writing. 

The programme offers voluntary attendance, meaning clients cannot be compelled to attend. However, many continue to work with the programme for months or years. 

New offence

Ellie said: “Many young people who are using Catch22 – which is a brilliant project – they may have committed crime, but they don’t necessarily have to have committed offences to be referred.

“They are at risk.”

The Government has recently introduced a new offence and prevention orders to tackle child criminal exploitation, which will target adults who exploit children into criminal activity.

Ellie told the BBC: “The best thing we can always do for victims, whether it’s children or adults, is stop them becoming victims in the first place.”

Three people stand in a studio. On the left, a man stands with his hands by his sides. Sitting to his left is a young person with his back to the camera. Next, and in the middle of the standing group, is Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend, who has her hand on the back of a chair. A woman stands with her hands clasped to Lisa's left hand side.

Commissioner Lisa Townsend, standing second from the right, met the team from Catch22 at their Farnham base in February

155 arrests, 25 years in prison for offenders and 10kg of suspected cocaine seized – Safer Redhill celebrates a year of success

Posted on | by Alex Winter

A YEAR of partnership working in Redhill has led to 25 years in prison for offenders and the seizure of 10kg of suspected cocaine.

Safer Redhill, an initiative designed to cut crime and foster pride in the town, brings together Surrey Police, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and YMCA East Surrey, as well as local business and community partners.

The initiative is supported by funding secured through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, including £265,000 of Safer Streets funding and £58,000 from the Community Safety Fund.

The project adopts the College of Policing’s ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ framework, a three-stage approach where police ‘clear’ offenders from Redhill and work in tandem with interventions from partners to ensure it remains that way.

Campaign’s success

From joint drugs operations at Redhill train station to plain clothed officers deployed at night to spot suspicious behaviour, a huge range of activity has had extensive results, including:

  • 155 arrests for offences including assaults, burglary, drink driving, drug supply and shoplifting
  • 93 charges, of which 81 were charged and remanded
  • A combined prison time of 25 years for local offenders, with many more still to appear for trial
  • Two Criminal Behaviour Orders issued for anti-social behaviour and 80 Community Resolutions issued for offences such as possession of a small quantity of drugs, low value and first time shoplifting offences and minor public order incidents
  • Over £7,000 worth of fines, court costs and victim surcharges issued by the courts
  • 86 drug seizures, including 10kg of suspected cocaine
  • £89,000 cash recovered and weapons taken off the streets
  • 15 vehicles seized and driving disqualification penalties issued that total 8.5 years.

Alongside enforcement activity, the local policing team has built strong relationships within the town, from engaging with students at colleges and holding Meet the Beat sessions to licensing visits with the council’s Joint Enforcement Team.

‘Incredibly proud’

Borough Commander Jon Vale said: “I’m incredibly proud of the efforts of all our partners to address crime in Redhill and help people feel safer in the town.

“It’s a team effort and I’m grateful to all the businesses, organisations and residents who are supporting this project to take pride in Redhill.

“When our communities look at the number of arrests and charges we’ve made over the past year, I want to reassure residents that it’s through the work we’ve been doing that we’re able to seek out and clear this crime from the town.

“Surrey remains one of the safest counties in the UK and our enforcement activities have had a strong impact in Redhill. Since we began our increased police activity, we’ve seen a significant decrease in crimes such as shoplifting, sexual assaults, serious attacks, robbery and anti-social behaviour.”

Safer Redhill aims to have a lasting impact and there is significant work going on to improve the area.

Lasting impact

Local initiatives include solar lighting and a mural designed by young people in Memorial Park, detached youth work by the YMCA and women’s self defence classes by Redhill Boxing Club.

The latest addition to the town will be the installation of two bleed kits by the Safer Redhill partnership, which have been installed next to defibrillators as part of the town’s provision to support people in medical emergencies.

Results from the Force’s regular neighbourhood survey indicate these changes are making a difference, showing an increase in the community’s trust and confidence in the police.

Surrey Police will soon launch a bespoke survey for residents and visitors to Redhill to tell officers where to focus their continued efforts.

Three people stand in a studio. On the left, a man stands with his hands by his sides. Sitting to his left is a young person with his back to the camera. Next, and in the middle of the standing group, is Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend, who has her hand on the back of a chair. A woman stands with her hands clasped to Lisa's left hand side.

“It literally saved my life”: Meet the team using music and photography to prevent child exploitation

Posted on | by Alex Winter

SURREY’S Police and Crime Commissioner has told of her pride after visiting a service that helps criminally exploited children to reshape their lives. 

Lisa Townsend joined staff from Catch22 at their base in Farnham during February to celebrate their work with vulnerable young people. 

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) is the sole funder of Catch22’s Music To My Ears programme, which allows clients to explore music production, photography, film-making and writing. 

Over the past four years, almost £400,000 has been committed to the programme through the OPCC. 

Commissioner’s pride

Young people who have been exploited and used by county lines drug dealing operations, have previously gone missing in Surrey, or have been involved in serious violence are among those to attend the service. 

Music To My Ears offers voluntary attendance, meaning clients cannot be compelled to attend. However, many continue to work with the programme for months or years. 

During her visit, Lisa met with a teenager who is now attending a prestigious music college, four years after first coming to the service for support. 

Other clients say Music To My Ears has pulled them out of criminality, with one telling the team: “It has literally saved my life.” 

Currently, Catch22 are working on a one-to-one basis with around 80 young people between the ages of 10 and 18 in Surrey. They are also presenting to Surrey’s magistrates to raise awareness of the programme as an alternative intervention that may prevent criminality altogether. 

“It saved my life”

Lisa said: “We cannot know how many crimes have not been committed because of the team’s intervention, or how many young people have not entered the prison system in the first place through their work. 

“But it is clear the Catch22 team are changing the lives of young people in Surrey. 

“During my visit to Music To My Ears, I met with a young person who has changed his own life with the service’s support, and is now a promising musician at a fantastic college.

“There’s a wonderful future ahead of him because of the support he was able to access through Catch22.

Changing lives

“The programme is completely voluntary – young people create their own care plan, and can stay, or leave, as they wish. 

“This gives them an agency that they may never have felt and empowers them to make choices that can shape their lives. 

“Those who have been groomed or exploited can learn that it is not their fault, that help is out there, and that there are adults who will support them to break free from criminality. 

“I am so proud to fund the programme.” 

For more information, visit catch-22.org.uk 

Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, at Guildford train station with the Street Angels

20 ambulance call-outs averted each year by the team with pockets full of lollipops – meet the Street Angels

Posted on | by Alex Winter

THOUSANDS of conversations, 20 ambulance calls averted – and 3,500 lollipops handed out.

These are just some of the successes achieved by Guildford’s Street Angel volunteers every year.

The team, managed by Guildford Town Centre Chaplaincy, receive a crucial £5,000 grant each year from Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend‘s Community Safety Fund for a coordinator.

And last week, the Commissioner joined a Saturday night shift.

During the evening, Lisa and the team helped a young man who’d had too much to drink, visited the train station to make sure travellers were safe, and picked up glass bottles that could otherwise be used as weapons.

The volunteers give their time once a month between 11pm and 4am on a Friday or Saturday night to provide practical care and support to anyone who may have found themselves in a vulnerable state.

They help those who are intoxicated, homeless, or victims of assault – and are perhaps best-known for their pockets filled with lollipops.

Lisa has often supported the Angels with grants, most recently contributing £500 for volunteer uniforms, first aid kits, emergency blankets and flip-flops.

Volunteers have been giving their time for the past 17 years. The current team of 50 encounter 3,400 people, including 50 homeless people, and pick up more than 3,100 bottles in an average year. During their shifts, they walk around 10,000 steps.

Anyone interested in volunteering is urged to contact the Chaplaincy via their website, gtcc.org.uk/street-angels/

Lisa said: “I’m so proud to support the Street Angels, who make such a positive difference in Guildford.

Meet the Angels

“This evening, we’ve visited the train station, where we know trouble can happen during the evenings. We’ve spoken with door staff at a range of venues around the town and stopped to chat to young people enjoying their night out.

“The Angels all give their time to make sure their community is safe.

“Most people will know them for the lollipops, as well as the flip-flops they give to those who have given up on uncomfortable shoes, but all who encounter the team will remember their kindness and care.

“I’d encourage anyone with an interest to visit the team’s website and sign up for a trial volunteer shift.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend and Deputy PCC Ellie Vesey-Thompson with Keely Glithero and Sue Murphy from Catalyst Support to learn about their cuckooing service.

Little-known form of exploitation impacting hundreds in Surrey becomes a criminal offence

Posted on | by Alex Winter

A LITTLE-KNOWN form of exploitation that has affected hundreds of people in Surrey is set to become a specific criminal offence. 

Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, has told of her joy after cuckooing was included in new legislation introduced to Parliament this week. 

Lisa co-commissions the county’s gold-standard Cuckooing Service in partnership with Public Health. The service is run by Catalyst Support. 

Cuckooing involves criminals taking over the homes of vulnerable people to use for offences including county lines drug dealing. 

Catalyst Support, which was honoured at Surrey Police’s Anti-Social Behaviour Awards late last year, helps victims, provides advice to those at risk, and aims to manage and resolve the risk of a property being closed by the courts. 

The service has long lobbied for cuckooing to be made a specific criminal offence. 

Commissioner’s joy

Previously, it was not a standalone offence, meaning perpetrators could only be punished for any associated offending. 

But yesterday, the Government confirmed that it will become an offence to control a person’s home in connection with criminal activity without consent, with a maximum of five years in prison or a fine for those who flout the new law. 

Since 2018, the Cuckooing Service has received 574 referrals from across the county and disrupted 66 organised criminal groups, known as OCGs, and 162 local drug dealers. 

Among the victims are a 93-year-old great-grandmother and a woman who was forced to sleep on her kitchen floor. Another victim returned home to find a drug production line in their property, while a fourth victim’s contact details were sold to an inmate in prison as part-payment for synthetic cannabis Spice. 

Last year, the service premiered Steven’s Story, a short film based on true events in Surrey. 

You can watch the video below.

Lisa, who also leads on Victims for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the news that cuckooing is set to become a specific criminal offence. 

“This is a chillingly sinister form of exploitation that transforms homes from safe, private havens into prisons. 

“While anyone can be affected, victims are usually vulnerable in some way. They may be single parents, affected by domestic abuse, have a history of substance abuse, or be young, often with experience of the care system. 

“Criminals will take advantage of this vulnerability to cause significant, lasting harm. 

“Harm is also caused to entire communities, and police often become aware of a cuckooed property after neighbours call in persistent, severe anti-social behaviour. 

Vulnerable victims exploited

“What is most worrying is that victims of cuckooing may remain hidden from police and the agencies poised to support them, through fear or perhaps because they have a history of offending. 

“But if you’re in this terrible situation, you are a victim, and we can and will help you. There is a way out. 

“The brilliant team at Catalyst Support are changing lives. I urge anyone who needs support to get in touch.” 

Catalyst Support’s Cuckooing Outreach Service Manager Karen Jones said: “Catalyst Support Cuckooing team welcomes the first steps to recognising cuckooing as a stand-alone crime.  

“We hope that making it a criminal offence will make a difference to the support available to victims, as well as deter perpetrators from exploiting vulnerable people.  

“Hidden crime”

“Cuckooing has long been a hidden crime, and the impact it has on vulnerable victims has often not been recognised. We hope that the change in the legislation will help the victims to be seen and receive the support they require and build resilience to avoid further exploitation. 

“The guidance will help improve identification of cuckooing and allow professionals to take action.  

“We will continue our work as an assertive outreach service and provide further support to both victims and partner agencies to help address cuckooing in the community.” 

For more information, visit catalystsupport.org.uk, call 01483 590150, or text 07909 631623. 

Commissioner says drink- and drug-driving is “never, ever worth the risk” as national campaign begins

Posted on | by Alex Winter

Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner has warned there is “never, ever” an excuse for drink- or drug-driving as a national campaign begins.

There will be increased drug tests, breath tests, stop checks and patrols on Surrey’s roads throughout December as part of Operation Limit, the nationwide campaign to tackle intoxicated driving.

There has been a rise in the number of drug-drivers arrested across Surrey, leading to a renewed focus from the Force.

During last year’s campaign, there were 199 arrests for drink or drug driving in the county.

Being over the limit can have fatal consequences, with drink and drug driving one of the main causes of death or serious injuries on our roads.

Campaign begins

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “Every time a driver gets behind the wheel, they are committing themselves to a huge responsibility.

“They are not only responsible for themselves, but for their passengers and everyone else they encounter on their journey.

“That’s why it’s so appalling for motorists to drink or take drugs before driving. It’s a dangerous and selfish act that can forever change a life, and I cannot overstate how important it is to remain sober, patient, and attentive at the wheel.

“There is no excuse whatsoever for this behaviour, and it is never, ever worth the risk.”

“Appalling”

Superintendent Rachel Glenton, head of Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit, said: “Our officers will be joined by officers from across the force to carry out increased patrols and stop checks on the road networks.

“This is in addition to our existing patrols which we carry out 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

“Through education, engagement, and enforcement, we aim to reduce the devastating impact of drink and drug-driving.

“We will deal robustly with offenders. So, while our officers can’t be everywhere, they could be anywhere and there really is no excuse for drivers who put their own safety and the safety of everyone else at risk.”

Risks

The consequences of drink or drug driving include:

  • Killing or seriously injuring yourself or someone else
  • A minimum 12-month ban
  • An unlimited fine
  • A possible prison sentence
  • A criminal record, which could affect your current and future employment
  • An increase in your car insurance costs
  • Difficulty travelling to countries such as the USA

If you know someone is driving while over the limit or after taking drugs, call 999.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

The campaign is being supported by Surrey RoadSafe.

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend and Deputy PCC Ellie Vesey-Thompson with Keely Glithero and Sue Murphy from Catalyst Support

Great-gran, 93, and woman forced to sleep on kitchen floor are among “hidden” Surrey victims of cuckooing

Posted on | by Alex Winter

A WOMAN forced to sleep on the kitchen floor of her own home and a 93-year-old great-grandmother are among the “hidden” Surrey victims of a little-known form of exploitation, Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said.

Cuckooing involves criminals taking over the homes of vulnerable people to use for offences including sex work and county lines drug dealing.

Lisa partly funds Surrey’s gold-standard Cuckooing Service, run by Catalyst Support, contributing £54,000 from her Community Safety Fund in the past financial year.

The service supports victims, provides advice to those at risk and helps prevent the risk of a property being closed by the courts.

Great-gran cuckooed

Since it launched in 2018, it has received 518 referrals from across the county. Of the vulnerable people supported, 14 per cent lived in accommodation that they either privately rented or owned, seven per cent were aged 70 or above, and 15 per cent had no history of drug or alcohol misuse.

One victim, who lost the use of her own bedroom and was forced to sleep in her kitchen, begged police officers for help after a chance sighting in the street. Another returned home to find a drug production line in their property, while a third victim’s contact details were sold to an inmate in prison as part-payment for synthetic cannabis Spice.

Lisa said: “Cuckooing is a deeply disturbing form of exploitation that can affect people of all backgrounds.

“However, victims are usually vulnerable in some way, with single mums, victims of domestic abuse, those with a history of substance misuse, sex workers and young people who have experienced the care system all among those most likely to be cuckooed.

“Criminals take advantage of this vulnerability in the cruellest possible way, by turning safe refuges into prisons.

Victim’s details sold in prison

“The harm caused to these victims is devastating, although cuckooing can impact entire communities. In fact, police often become aware of cuckooing when neighbours call in severe anti-social behaviour.

“Troublingly, most victims of cuckooing will remain hidden, both from police and from agencies poised to help them out of danger, like Catalyst Support’s fantastic Cuckooing Service.

“But if you’re in this terrible situation, there are ways out. In the past year, Catalyst Support has disrupted 15 organised criminal groups, known as OCGs, and 34 local drug dealers.

“They are changing lives, and I urge anyone in need of their support in Surrey to get in touch.

Commissioner’s pride

“This is a gold-standard, nationally –recognised service, and I’m incredibly proud to fund it.”

Cuckooing service manager at Catalyst Support, Keely Glithero, said: “Cuckooing becoming a crime is key for victims, so that this abhorrent act is recognised.

“To the perpetrators, it sends the message that this is not acceptable and to the victims, that they are being seen.

“Our service provides empowering, trustful support, improving community safety and the resilience of adults at risk. We also work with perpetrators.”

For more information, visit catalystsupport.org.uk, call 01483 590150, or text 07909 631623.

Lisa Townsend, in yellow, and her Deputy Commissioner Ellie Vesey-Thompson, on right, visited the Cuckooing Service to learn more about the impact on victims

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend watches from a front door as Surrey Police officers execute a warrant at a property linked to possible county lines drug dealing.

Policing Your Community – Commissioner says police teams are taking the fight to drug gangs after joining county lines crackdown

Posted on | by James Smith

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said officers will continue the battle to drive drug gangs out of Surrey after she joined Surrey Police teams cracking down on ‘county lines’ criminality.

The Force and partner agencies carried out targeted operations across the county last week to disrupt the activities of criminal networks dealing drugs in our communities.

County lines is the name given to activity by highly organised criminal networks using phone lines to facilitate the supply of class A drugs – such as heroin and crack cocaine.

Drugs and drug related crime was one of the key issues that residents raised during the Commissioner’s recent ‘Policing Your Community’ roadshow in which she teamed up with the Chief Constable to hold in-person and online events in all 11 boroughs across the county.

It was also one of the top three priorities that those who filled in the Commissioner’s council tax survey this winter said they wanted to see Surrey Police focus on over the next year.

On Tuesday, the Commissioner joined a pro-active patrol in Stanwell including covert officers and the passive dog unit. And on Thursday she joined early morning raids in the Spelthorne and Elmbridge areas that targeted suspected dealers, supported by the specialist Force’s Child Exploitation and Missing Unit.

The Commissioner said these types of operations send a strong message to those gangs that police will continue to take the fight to them and dismantle their networks in Surrey.

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend watches as Surrey Police officers carry out a warrant

During the week, officers made 21 arrests and seized drugs including cocaine, cannabis and crystal methamphetamine. They also recovered a large number of mobile phones suspected of being used to coordinate drug deals and seized over £30,000 in cash.

7 warrants were executed as officers disrupted so called ‘county lines’, accompanied by activity throughout the week to safeguard more than 30 young or vulnerable people.

In addition, police teams across the county were out in communities raising awareness of the issue, including accompanying the CrimeStoppers ad van at several locations, engaging with students at 24 schools and visiting hotels and landlords, taxi firms and gyms and sport centres in Surrey.

Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “County lines criminality continues to be a threat to our communities and the kind of action we saw last week highlights how our police teams are taking the fight to those organised gangs.

“These criminal networks seek to exploit and groom young and vulnerable people to act as couriers and dealers and often use violence to control them.

“Drugs and drug related crime were one of the top three priorities residents who filled in our recent council tax survey told me they wanted to see Surrey Police tackling over the coming year.

“So I am delighted to have been out with our policing teams this week to see first-hand the kind of targeted police intervention that is taking place to disrupt the activities of these county lines networks and drive them out of our county.

“We all have a part to play in that and I would ask our communities in Surrey to remain vigilant to any suspicious activity that could be related to drug dealing and report it immediately.

“Equally, if you know of anyone being exploited by these gangs – please pass that information to police, or anonymously to CrimeStoppers, so that action can be taken.”

You can report crime to Surrey Police on 101, at surrey.police.uk or on any official Surrey Police social media page. You can also report any suspicious activity you witness using the Force’s dedicated Suspicious Activity Portal.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

Anyone who is concerned about a child should contact Surrey Children’s Services Single Point of Contact by calling 0300 470 9100 (9am-5pm Monday to Friday) or by email to: cspa@surreycc.gov.uk