A team of experts have been brought together in a bid to tackle the 'scourge' of county lines in Dorset.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) hosted its latest Problem Solving Forum on Wednesday.

The forum saw a group of experts involved in child protection and adult safeguarding, housing and transport come together to discuss new approaches to tackling county lines drug dealing and criminal exploitation in Dorset.

County lines – in which gangs from large cities use dedicated phone lines to supply drugs to smaller towns – has become a national issue affecting forces including Dorset Police.

The gangs often target vulnerable people, including young people suffering from poor mental health and addiction, sometimes threatening them with violence to coerce them into moving drugs across the country.

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill, said: “County lines ruins lives. Not only does it bring the scourge of drug dealing into our own towns and villages, but the gangs involved are absolutely ruthless in the way they exploit young people and adults at risk of harm to do their dirty work.

Mr Underhill added although Dorset Police carried out regular patrols in areas known for street dealing and shared information with police forces across the country, the county lines issue was "larger than the police" and required a response from a wide range of organisations.

"This forum has brought these groups together to look at the problem from every angle and find sustainable and innovative solutions,” he said.

The forum, which took place in Wimborne Minster, heard from Supt Caroline Naughton from Dorset Police and Claire Dzuda from the Aster Housing Association, as well as DI Brittany Clarke from the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre.

A survivor of county lines exploitation from the St Giles Trust also spoke about their own experience of being used by drugs gangs.

Sarah Elliott, chair of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards, said: “We welcomed this opportunity to work with the PCC by joining these two events together. We wanted to encourage and support commitment by partners to tackle this abhorrent issue in our county.”

Participants took part in workshops to identify what each organisation involved could do differently and proposals will be taken forward through partnership working with relevant organisations.