Gang-Exploited Son Treated Like 'Paper Round' Delivery, Mother Says

A mother whose son was groomed by a criminal gang at just 13 years old has revealed how he was forced into drug running as easily as taking on a paper round, while the local authority housed him in the heart of the danger zone.

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, the woman, whom we are calling Sandra to protect her identity, described how her autistic son was recruited within months and made to deliver drugs across Grimsby for up to 36 hours at a stretch. She said it took North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) two years to move him to safety, despite her repeated pleas for help.

A Childhood Lost to Exploitation

Sandra said her son's descent into exploitation was rapid and terrifying. "Within months, between Easter and the start of the new school term, that was it. I'd lost my son," she recalled. "He was thin and gaunt. He looked ill and was covered in scars, bruises and injuries."

At 14, he was taken into care following what Sandra described as a breakdown linked to addiction and exploitation, which had left the family unsafe due to his violent behaviour. But instead of being placed in a protective environment, Sandra claims professionals placed him "right in the centre of the exploitation" in Grimsby.

"I believed professionals understood these risks in the community around exploitation and I leaned on them to help give me some answers and to enable me to continue to be a mum. But the absolute opposite happened," she said.

Eventually, her son was moved to a care home more than 250 miles away, at a cost of £1.66m over two years. Yet within weeks, he fled and returned to Grimsby, before being sent back. During that time, he was charged with several offences, including assault, and received a conditional discharge at Grimsby Magistrates' Youth Court in October.

A Growing National Crisis

Sandra's story is not an isolated one. Home Office data obtained by the BBC shows the number of children recognised as victims of child criminal exploitation (CCE) in the UK nearly doubled in five years, exceeding 3,000 in the last financial year.

In North East Lincolnshire alone, 153 children were identified as potentially at risk in 2025/26, a 56% rise in five years. Two-thirds of those cases involved children aged 15 or under, according to NELC data.

The BBC also found at least two teenagers openly selling drugs, including cocaine and ketamine, on social media. One 16-year-old boy, among those at risk, was charged with more than 30 crimes including assault, burglary, theft and drug offences, and continued to offend after being sentenced.

A former NELC care worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had seen younger children being drawn in. "I know of children as young as eight and nine who have been offered a bag of chips to go and get drugs," she said. "I've seen children having to deal drugs from children's homes because we can't keep them safe anymore. They're too scared to not deal the drugs."

Systemic Failures and Staffing Crisis

The former worker claimed workforce shortages, high staff turnover and reliance on agency workers were undermining safeguarding. New figures obtained through a freedom of information request show a 20-fold increase in agency workers used by NELC's children's homes, from four in 2021/22 to 81 in 2025/26. Between March 2022 and September 2026, the council spent almost £1.4m on agency supply staff.

"I think our social care system is breaking at the moment," the worker said. "We're losing staff at a pace of knots."

Evidence seen by the BBC shows concerns were repeatedly raised with the council over several years about exploited children being left in unsafe situations, and staff being ignored when they flagged serious incidents.

Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said the "sheer scale of this abuse is deeply concerning" and it was "wholly unacceptable" that children taken into care could still find themselves exposed to the very dangers they should be protected from.

Council Response and Police Perspective

NELC said it did not comment on individual cases but insisted it took CCE "extremely seriously" and that it was "a top priority" for the local authority and police. "There are often very challenging situations and lessons are always being learnt," a spokesperson said.

The council added it was "confident that we have the right approach, putting the safeguarding of our young people at the core of what we do" and that its continued priority "is to protect children, support families, disrupt exploitation" through a "proactive, preventative approach".

Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson, head of safeguarding at Humberside Police, said CCE was "a complex crime to investigate". "It is important to acknowledge that not every child who commits an offence is being criminally exploited, but every child involved in crime should be considered in the context of their age, circumstances, vulnerability and the potential influence of others," he added.

Policing minister Sarah Jones announced that a new child criminal exploitation offence would be introduced, targeting gangs who draw children into crime.

Five years ago, Ofsted rated NELC's children's services inadequate, finding children were exposed to harm due to "widespread weaknesses". A government commissioner was appointed and a new management team brought in. Last year, Ofsted reported improvements, rating services good overall, with leadership and support for care leavers judged outstanding.

Yet for Sandra, the fight continues. "I won't stop until we get him back," she said.