County lines mobsters hit rural Cornish town
VICTORIA BECKHAM has admitted she will feel “a bit left out” when she sees the Spice Girls return this year.
The fashion designer ruled out making a cameo appearance as Posh Spice but said she “will always be a Spice Girl” ahead of the band reuniting for a string of shows without her.
Victoria, 44, said: “What I do now is my passion and a full-time job. I’m excited to see it, though. And I’m sure when I’m there and they are on stage, there will be a part of me that feels a bit left out. Because even after all this, a part of me will always be a Spice Girl.”
The former singer made the comments as she admitted being frustrated by speculation over her marriage with football legend David Beckham, 43.
She told a newspaper: “People are interested in my personal life. And sometimes that works in my favour and sometimes it’s things that I don’t like.
I’m not going to let it get me down.”
The mother of four revealed how she used to tell her children that photographers followed their family because their grandparents missed them and wanted to see pictures of them.
Victoria added that she had no plans to relocate the family to Florida despite David’s involvement with Inter Miami CF football club. COUNTY lines gangs have been spotted in a tiny Cornish town as the fast-rising crime continues to creep into rural areas.
Callington, an historic town which boasts a 15th-century church and a population of just 5,000, has been targeted by an “organised crime gang from London”.
The news comes as the Home Affairs Select Committee launches an inquiry into modern-day slavery and the use of children for crime.
County lines activities involve criminals from city gangs sending dealers to suburbs and rural towns to feed growing drug habits.
The crooks coerce vulnerable people and children into selling drugs for them in remote areas, using dedicated mobile phones to orchestrate the scheme.
Home Office figures show the number of British children referred for support as victims of county lines exploitation more than doubled from 255 in 2016 to 677 in 2017.
This week police in Devon and Cornwall spoke of their shock at it creeping into rural towns. Callington police support officer Joanne Addems said: “We are aware that an organised crime gang from London has started to target Callington.” The Children’s Society charity, which has helped more than 100 county line victims, has completed a report to the committee.
The charity said: “Children and young people living in deprived areas are often groomed for criminal exploitation such as county lines.
“Young people we work with receive large amounts of money, sometimes £700 a week, for selling Class A drugs and use this to support their family.
“Our practitioners report that perpetrators consistently use money and fear as a way of controlling young people. In some cases young people are set up to be robbed of drugs and money they are carrying so they are in ‘debt’ to the criminals.”
The charity noted a trend for older gang members to act as “appropriate adults” if children were arrested on suspicion of drug dealing to monitor and control what they tell police.
The report added: “The level of control that criminal groups exert over young people is immense and too often frontline agencies are unaware.
“In some cases members of organised crime groups will act as an ‘appropriate adult’ for a young person detained or questioned by police – the young person is unable to speak openly and truthfully with authorities.”
Specialist County Lines Detective Inspector Andy Farrell said: “The safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults remains the highest priority and rest assured law enforcement working alongside partners will do all we can to achieve this.”
The committee was also told that across Wales school-based police officers were training staff and pupils about the county lines threat. DETECTIVES have arrested a teenager on suspicion of the murder of 14-year-old Jaden Moodie.
The suspect, 18, was arrested in Wembley, north London, yesterday morning, Scotland Yard said. Jaden (below) was stabbed to death on Tuesday, January 8, after he was rammed off a moped by five men in a black Mercedes.
Three of the attackers got out and knifed Jaden.
The suspect has been taken to a police station in Central London.
Police are still looking for others involved in the crime.