SOUTHEND is being targeted by 26 separate London drug gangs, a report has revealed.

The public health report highlighted so-called “county lines” drug-dealing as a real problem. The gangs target and recruit children and young people in the borough to sell drugs.

Krishna Ramkhelawon, the council’s interim director of public health, said improving community safety for young people was vital.

He added: “As of March 2019, there were 26 active county lines gangs in Southend.

“These gangs are working out of London using train routes from Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to traffic drugs into the borough. Once the drugs arrive in Southend, the gangs use local runners to deal the drugs.”

These drug gangs are widely known to recruit children to move drugs, money and weapons for them.

Mr Ramkhelawon added: “Gangs frequently target vulnerable children for these tasks.

“They also target vulnerable adults to take over their homes and use as a base for manufacturing and selling drugs - this is known as cuckooing.”

The report stated that in a six month period, there were 2,345 reliable police intelligence reports concerning county lines dealing in Southend which equates to between 300 and 400 reports per month.

Martin Terry, councillor for community safety, said the figure was cause for real concern.

He added: “The fact that 26 gangs are targeting our town is deeply concerning.

“We need to take a far broader approach which is why it is featured in the public health report.

“I’m well versed in the methods being used in Glasgow where they are treating this kind of criminality as a public health problem and Home Office figures alone suggest 85 per cent of acquisitive crime is linked to drug use. In Southend, virtually every stabbing has been said to be drug-related.

“We’ve got to get to grips with it.”

The report lays out plans to roll-out quality standards schools must meet with their education awareness.

It also states the council will be delivering training and awareness campaigns to children and adults about harmful behaviours which should enable them to make informed decisions.

Southend Council, in partnership with Essex Police, created two awareness campaign launched in October and December last year.

They plan to launch a third campaign aimed at high-school children, giving young people support and a place to go should they have information they need to pass on.

The report will be presented to the council’s cabinet next week.