Hundreds of children thrown out of school in English county lines hotspots

Gangs target minors who are out of school and BBC report shows rise in exclusions and suspensions in biggest drug-exporting areas

Hundreds of extremely vulnerable children at risk of being recruited by criminal gangs are being thrown out of schools in county lines hotspots.

Figures obtained by BBC Radio 4's File on 4 programme revealed there were more than 1,200 exclusions and suspensions of children assessed by social services to be grooming targets in England's four largest drug-exporting regions between 2021 and 2023.