Parents, teachers and education professionals are being urged to learn more about the danger posed by County Lines drug dealing.
Online sessions warning about the perils of criminal exploitation of young people in Norfolk are being held again in the county over the next four months with a number of sessions taking place over the next four months, starting on Thursday (December 15).
It comes as Amrik Singh, 19, from London, is due to be sentenced after pleading guilty to manslaughter following the death of David Lawal, 25, who was found by the A134 Brandon Road in Thetford on October 3, 2019.
Norwich Crown Court has heard Mr Lawal’s death followed a violent confrontation between a gang involved in running a mobile phone drug line to supply drugs in Thetford.
The webinar events are being hosted by national charity St Giles as part of its SOS+ Project – first commissioned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk (OPCCN) in November 2018.
The webinars were launched in September last year due to restrictions posed by the pandemic and so far, hundreds of parents, teachers and education professionals have taken part.
Norfolk's police and crime commissioner, Giles Orpen-Smellie, said: "We all have a duty to ensure we do all we can to safeguard our young people to help guide them along the right paths in life.
“We can never do enough to protect young people in Norfolk.”
Sessions for parents are due to take place on December 15, January 13, February 9 and March 15 for parents while events for professionals are set for December 13, January 18 and 26, February 1, 17 and 28 and March 7 and 21.
Clare Bradley, contract manager at St Giles, said: "County Lines exploitation is a sad fact of life for many children and young people.
"However, the good news is that by raising awareness, educating young people on the risk and helping them identify the signs of grooming and exploitation we can prevent it."
To sign up to a session parents and professionals can email: sosplusnorfolk@stgilestrust.org.uk or call 0207 708 8047
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