Local authorities are accused of being 'recruitment sergeants' for gangs by placing children out of area.
Children as young as seven have been recruited by county lines gangs
And the number of children reported missing from out of area placements has more than doubled since 2015, from 990 to 1,990 in 2018, government figures found. "Children are being systematically failed and placed in grave danger by the very professionals who are there to protect them. Mark Russell, chief executive of the Children's Society, said the inquiry heard"truly shocking" examples of trauma experienced by children."These children are some of the most vulnerable in society, it is vital their needs are put at the centre of all decisions about their placement.
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