'My son was brainwashed by a drugs gang' - Mum speaks out against County Lines crime
Children as young as 12 are being groomed by criminal gangs
A Mum has told Key103 how her son is now 'unrecognisable' after years in a criminal gang.
The woman - who is being kept anonymous for her safety - described how, when her son was 13, he became sullen and withdrawn, going missing more than 200 times in the space of less than a year.
Her story is one of countless examples of the effect County Lines crime is having on families across the countries.
Dangerous drugs gangs are grooming children as young as 12 into joining them, storing and transporting drugs.
The gangs use promises of flashy clothes and gadgets, intimidation and threats to bring young people into their groups.
"I've found so many notes saying 8 ways in....one way out. Because once you're in, you can't get out. It's either prison or death. They won't let you out. There's a debt constantly building - you can never be free of it.
My son was on track - he's at a top grammar school. He was on track to head to a top university. He now doesn't have anything. He'd go missing every single day, and the police would search from him - needle in a haystack - and they never found him.
He was absolutely so kind, so sensitive, He would never shout or use bad language. And then it just completely changed. The whole thing is heartbreaking to witness him in the house. It's like I've taken in a criminal and plonked him in my house."
Stockport MP Ann Coffey is calling for better understanding of County Lines crime.
She says young people who become entangled in it are not being treated as victims, and are being labelled criminals.
She wants police, government and social action to change how County Lines crime is dealt with.