Shameful secret of UK's most beautiful city as drug lords ship in runners young as 13 & stash Bond-style golden guns
HOARDS of tourists flock to pretty, historic York every day - but beneath the surface lies a dark underbelly of county lines criminality which sees kids as young as 13 deal drugs on street corners.
The city - which regularly tops polls of the
17
York regularly ranks as one of the most beautiful cities in the UK
Credit: Getty
17
Recent police busts have shone a light on the county lines gangs gripping its streets
Credit: North Yorkshire Police
17
A case full of cash seized in a recent raid
Credit: North Yorkshire Police
17
A James Bond-style 'golden gun' was also seized
Credit: North Yorkshire Police
But locals tell us that behind the scenes youngsters are being exploited and forced to run drugs and cash to the area, which is rife with dealing and addiction.
At York Station, a stone's throw from the
This makes it all the easier for vulnerable youngsters - who are also being shipped in by gangs via taxis - to arrive in York unchecked.
The northern city, located less than 30 miles from Leeds, attracts nine million visitors every year and is one of the UK's most popular tourist hotspots.
But the issue of county lines is so severe North Yorkshire Police have launched a mammoth operation, named Project Titan, to tackle the criminality it's brought to the area.
Detective Chief Inspector Shaun Page, Operation Titan's lead, told a
Earlier this year they arrested 113 people in just four months as part of their investigation, during which both plain clothed and uniformed officers carry out surveillance in the worst hit parts of the city.
The term 'county lines' refers to the trafficking of illegal substances into smaller areas via public transport, away from bigger destinations like Birmingham and Liverpool.
Most read in The Sun
But shockingly, it's commonly students and school children who are exploited to act as drug runners or move wads of cash.
In York, locals direct us to the Clifton area on the outskirts of the city, where they say the problem is rife.
The ketamine kids ravaging UK town as dealers hit PRIMARY schools & teen girls draw business plans to become drug lords
One recent police bust certainly backed up their claims, with astonishing pictures showing hauls of vacuum packed drugs, wads of huge sums of cash, six mobile phones and a pistol-style BB gun seized from a property.
A man in his 20s suspected of importing drugs has been arrested.
Dealers on doorsteps
In Clifton, one 64-year-old woman named Julie, who didn't want to give her surname, tells us county lines gangs are on her doorstep.
She said: "Last year it was terrible for drugs, crime and knives.
17
Hoards of tourists flock to historic, beautiful York every day
Credit: NNP
17
The train station has no barriers which make it easier for gangs to ship in young runners
Credit: NNP
17
The Clifton area of York is particularly vulnerable to county lines operations
Credit: NNP
17
Police officers in York have made more than 100 arrests following the introduction of Project Titan
Credit: North Yorkshire Police
17
Adam Luke Reynard supplied hard drugs including heroin to York residents
Credit: North Yorkshire Police
17
Another major bust saw a drug ring led by father/son duo Michael and James Leaf taken down
"Police have been around here every single day to try and clean it up.
"Only recently there were loads of police from Liverpool, so that just shows it's county lines.
"It was Liverpool CID so they must have been thinking the drugs were being brought in from there.
"They were walking the streets and knocking on doors.
"It is the vulnerable people who are getting exploited.
"York is a nice place but if you come out of the big centre on to the outskirts then the drugs are all over.
"Clifton is starting to get tidied up but it's still a problem."
Shabby-looking flats on terraced streets fill the area, whilst a knife drop-off box has been placed just metres away from busy shops.
The amnesty box encourages people to safely discard of blades and weapons anonymously.
We know county lines is an issue because young people are getting arrested and there are undercover coppers driving around the streets
Jake Noble, 22, said: "I see drugs being dealt from outside my window every day.
"It's just normal and you get used to it. It's definitely younger people doing it.
"But I think people doing the deals get roped into it by people higher up.
"There's a supply and chain where the drugs start at the top and works their way down.
"It's about trying to find the ringleaders but it must be hard."
Retired engineer Shirley Richardson, 74, added: "I see children as young as 13 on these streets with drugs.
"It's horrible and not a surprise to anyone living around here.
"I have no idea where they bring the drugs in from but people say its from outside of York.
"It's a terrible issue. When I was younger nothing like this happened.
"Kids smoke on the street on their push bikes as if it's normal."
Drugs hub
Among the tourist attractions in York is The Shambles, a narrow street of medieval buildings with overhanging floors which jut out over the cobbles below.
Home to quaint cafes and boutique shops, its believed to have inspired Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies.
17
A weapons bin on the streets in the Clifton area of York
Credit: NNP
17
Student Elliot MacInnes said drug culture is 'more insidious that people realise'
Credit: NNP
York Minster and the ancient city walls are also a major draw for visitors. The cathedral is one of the most magnificent in the world and dates back to the seventh century.
And the Jorvik Viking Centre and National Railway Museum have been popular destinations for school trips from all over the north of England for decades.
But away from its booming tourism industry which fetches almost two billion pounds per year, organised criminal groups are flooding the city with class A drugs.
With multiple links to neighbouring locations like Leeds and Sheffield, York has become the big target for gangs to go about their business.
Just this week, a 'professional' county lines drug dealer was jailed for more than four years for peddling heroin and crack cocaine in the city.
County lines is everywhere across the UK and especially in cities like York
Adam Reynard, 33, ran what police called the 'AJ Line', which was set up to flood the city's streets with Class A drugs, York Crown Court heard.
A few miles away in Acomb to the west of York, pensioner Patricia Mercer says the drug problem is rife.
The former council worker's oldest great-grandchild is 12-years-old and she worries about the exploitation happening to kids his age.
The 77-year-old said: "Kids around here have nothing to do. There's not a thing here for them on the outskirts.
"Because of that they get bored. Youngsters used to go out and meet their mates or go to youth clubs.
17
York's beauty spots attract visitors from around the world
Credit: NNP
17
Its famous minster is an iconic landmark
Credit: NNP
"We know county lines is an issue because young people are getting arrested and there are undercover coppers driving around the streets.
"We know very well what they're looking for.
"I think the drugs are coming from bigger places outside of York then get brought in."
She added: "The young people get groomed to work for these people.
"I have grandchildren and great-grandchildren and it's those who you worry about.
"My eldest great-grandson is 12 and that's around the age you hear of these people targeting.
"You do worry because sometimes it's the quieter ones who might get targeted by criminal groups."
Nightclub dealers
There is a combined student population of 50,000 in the city, home to York University, a member of the Russell Group, as well as York St John University.
It is claimed that drug taking among students is part of the culture, as it is in other areas of the country.
One student told us: "It didn't surprise me when I found out these arrests were made.
"Drug taking is rife among students and you see dealing happening all the time outside on the street."
Another student added: "You hear stories about what goes on, and you see drugs being dealt in nightclub toilets.
17
Other areas of the city receive less investment
Credit: NNP
17
A Rolex watch seized in a police raid
Credit: North Yorkshire Police
17
Drugs were found vacuum packed
Credit: North Yorkshire Police
"The dealing definitely happens around here but often people don't even realise it's going on.
"It doesn't surprise me these arrests were made but it might surprise others.
"I don't take drugs myself but it happens in the university culture."
Psychology student Elliot MacInnes, 21, said: "You hear about the county lines happening.
"It might be surprising to other people outside of York that it happens.
"It is a lot more insidious that people realise.
"Often it goes under the radar with how young the kids are that are affected.
"County lines is everywhere across the UK and especially in cities like York.
"There is drug culture with young people at university but it seems to happen all over the country.
"It definitely happens even outside of the city in smaller towns.
"I have heard that young people are becoming targeted more and more."
Criminal suburbs
Two pals Harvey Hunter and Tyler Combs, both 20, say the city is divided by its plush centre and criminal suburbs.
Harvey, a ground worker, said: "I think York is more blended so it becomes a target.
"It's less on top of you and less busy than other places so maybe that's why it is happening.
"It's close to Leeds and Bradford so there are links into the city.
"The older people send younger ones to do jobs for them.
"It can be a lot of money for a younger person so they accept."
Tyler said: "York does have this problem but it's like most places in the country.
"It's their choice if they want to get involved and say yes. Unfortunately it's in their hands but it definitely happens.
"Everywhere you go people are selling this and dealing that.
"York is a quality place to live. It does have its rough places and you do get people who get busted for county lines.
"A lot of people come to York for tourism so maybe they feel they can get away with hiding it."
York in stats
It's no surprise that living up north tends to be cheaper than the south.
However, due to York's popularity, it is slightly more expensive to live in than other northern cities.
The average house price in York is currently £305,000, while average monthly rent is £1,122 as of 2025.
For the UK as a whole, the average house price is £271,000.
In 2023/2024, the Office for National Statistics revealed 79.4 per cent of York's population between the ages of 16 to 64 were in employment.
This left 2.5 per cent of the population - or 2,900 people - unemployed.
In the UK, about 4.4 per cent of the population over the age of 16 is unemployed, latest figures show.
Danny Kilner lives in the Acomb area of York and helps get young people off the street and out of trouble.
The 37-year-old store manager said: "It is a problem in York with youngsters.
"Parents need to be a bit stricter but then again, how do you stop it?
"I have a 12-year-old and I worry for lads his age. I help out at York Acorn Rugby Club and we try to get as many young people in there as possible.
"It helps teach them discipline and gets them off the street.
"It's really important to give them something to do and get them involved with something.
"I help out and we have 20-odd kids from under 9 to under 15.
"They could be the ones to get sucked in so you have to try and help."
Project Titan's lead, DCI Shaun Page from North Yorkshire Police said: "113 arrests in four months is extremely positive, but there are still suspected drugs lines operating across York.
"Using a significant number of investigative strategies the team has worked relentlessly to tackle drug use, drug related crime and criminal exploitation.
Read more on the Irish Sun
"Our commitment continues, working in close partnership with other agencies, including the City of York Council, ensures a holistic, preventative approach, reducing harm to our communities.
"However, I must stress the importance of having the public on our side. Please remain vigilant, if there is something that doesn't look quite right, it probably isn't."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Rape charge against asylum seeker in taxpayer-funded hotel kept quiet to avoid inflaming ‘community tension in cover up'
A RAPE charge against a man staying in an asylum hotel was kept quiet — as officials feared inflaming 'community tension'. There were also two other rape cases where it was not disclosed that the suspects were in taxpayer-funded asylum hotels. Advertisement 4 Council officials recommended rape charges against an asylum seeker living at a taxpayer-funded hotel be kept quiet Credit: Darren Fletcher Shadow Justice Secretary He went on: 'The illegal small-boat crossings are a national security emergency. "We've seen terrorism, murders and rapes from those who've come here illegally. It's outrageous. 'Women in towns with asylum hotels shouldn't have to live in fear. Advertisement READ MORE ON ASYLUM SEEKERS The authorities must trust the public with the truth and act to protect them.' The rape suspects were all housed in Home Office-funded accommodation in Portsmouth , London and Manchester. At Portsmouth, the alleged rape was followed by a concerted effort to keep secret the suspect's link to an asylum hotel. He was charged with rape and voyeurism after the alleged attack on a woman on June 11. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Police confirmed to The Sun he had been at the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, used to house asylum seekers. The man appeared at Portsmouth magistrates' court on June 16. He was remanded in custody and is no longer at the hotel. Migrants dodge tear gas in sprint across beach to reach boats bound for Britain No statement was issued about the case but Portsmouth City Council officials were briefed privately. The Sun understands councillors were warned not to speak about the suspect's housing, with one council officer raising fears about 'community tension' if it was known. Advertisement Another senior official privately urged Portsmouth Independents Party leader Cllr George Madgwick not to share 'privileged confidential information' after he took to social media to express his frustration. 4 Reform leader Nigel Farage has called for dismissals of the council officials involved Credit: Getty 4 Robert Jenrick MP has warned the 'perception of a migrant cover-up' was growing Credit: Getty Cllr Madgwick said: 'This is precisely why the public don't trust politicians and public bodies: things are hidden that should be disclosed. Advertisement Anyone involved in any form of cover-up from disclosure to the public should question their role in a publicly funded position.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said last night: 'The council officials who hid the truth about these serious allegations should immediately face the sack. "Decent people are getting angrier every day.' Portsmouth City Council effectively admitted it chose not to go public, saying it was informed of the charge ahead of the court hearing but left public statements to police. Advertisement A spokesman said: 'We knew the Home Office accommodation link would become public knowledge through the court proceedings and, based on events elsewhere in the country, were conscious there may be community tensions related to it.' Girl 'sex ordeal' EXCLUSIVE By Alex Diaz A MIGRANT living at an asylum seeker hotel raped a vulnerable 17-year-old girl, a court heard. Mohammed Akbari, 23, allegedly attacked her in bushes after they arranged to go to a park, having first met at a hospital. The teen felt dizzy after Akbari, from Iran, gave her an alcoholic drink, Uxbridge magistrates' court heard. She allegedly told him to stop the assault, in Harmondsworth, West London, on June 9. He claims she consented to sex. Akbari arrived in the UK last year, claiming he is Christian and at risk in Iran. He is in custody and will return to court on July 18. Two similar cases also saw no public statements issued about the suspects' links to asylum housing. One involved a 27-year-old man staying at a hotel in Kensington, West London. He faces multiple charges over a serious sex attack, including rape and attempted rape. Advertisement He pleaded not guilty on June 2 and was remanded in custody before a trial in October. In Manchester , a Jordanian with an asylum claim under way was charged with rape while living at a Home Office-contracted hotel. He appeared at Tameside magistrates' court last month and was remanded in custody until a crown court hearing next week. The man, 34, has yet to enter a plea. Meanwhile, an asylum seeker in a hotel in Yorkshire was charged with raping a girl aged 13 to 15 last Boxing Day. 4 There have been multiple assaults involving asylum seekers across the UK Credit: Alamy Advertisement Last night the Government said: 'We have taken action to ban foreign nationals who commit sexual offences from being granted asylum.' Our revelations come after an illegal migrant was jailed for raping a girl of 15, amid claims he did not understand 'cultural differences'. Afghan national Sadeq Nikzad, 29, pounced on the teen in Falkirk in October 2023. Defence counsel Janice Green told the High Court in Livingston there was a 'cultural barrier' with Nikzad's home nation where There is no suggestion any of the accused in the three latest rape cases are linked to Advertisement But the issue of alleged criminality by illegal arrivals was raised in an official report this week. A damning review by Dame Louise Casey found they are involved in a 'significant proportion' of live police investigations into child sex grooming gangs. The report found police and council leaders covered up the scale of Asian grooming gangs since concerns were first raised in 2009 as they feared being called racist or raising community tensions. Additional reporting: RICHARD MORIARTY 'Axe hate team' By Martina Bet LABOUR'S work on a definition of Islamophobia threatens to shut down efforts to tackle grooming gangs, a report has warned. The party's working group on anti-Muslim hate should be suspended immediately until after the new inquiry into the scandal, think tank Policy Exchange says. Report co-author Sir John Jenkins said a definition would be an 'undeniable act of two-tier policy'. The group says even a non-binding definition risks silencing victims. It comes days after Baroness Casey's report said officials failed to mention that perpetrators were Asian for fear of appearing racist.
Sunday World
18 hours ago
- Sunday World
‘Bonnie and Clyde' teen criminal (19) who escaped from garda station is caught
Investigations believe that he is the chief suspect for dozens of crimes since escaping from gardai, A teenage criminal who escaped garda custody before allegedly going on a Bonnie and Clyde-style crime spree was arrested by officers yesterday. The 19-year-old was detained in a garda station in Dublin last night and is due to appear in court later today after spending months on the run. He has been the subject of a manhunt since he escaped from Balbriggan garda station on April 23 after climbing over a wall while in custody. Investigations believe that he is the chief suspect for dozens of crimes since escaping from gardai, These include several car break-ins and shop robberies in Waterford, Tipperary, west Cork and the border counties. While allegedly carrying out this crime spree over months, he was accompanied by his teenage girlfriend – described by her family as being 'besotted' with him. Detectives dubbed the couple 'Bonnie and Clyde' – a reference to the infamous criminal duo from the US from the 1930s. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow gained international notoriety after going on a crime spree across the central United States between 1932 and 1934. The young woman was detained and questioned by detectives from Kilkenny and Portlaoise in relation to her alleged involvement with her boyfriend's crimes. However, her mother has previously said she believed her daughter was under her boyfriend's control. 'I have heard gardaí say to my daughter about 'Bonnie and Clyde' – she is no Bonnie. She is a very vulnerable child who has been taken advantage of,' she said. The young woman who recently turned 18, was arrested earlier this month after a stolen car was crashed in the border area. Her boyfriend, who is believed to have been at the wheel, is suspected of having fled the scene with a criminal associate. A stolen car they are believed to have made off in was later found crashed and abandoned in Northern Ireland. Both stolen vehicles were taken during a burglary in Smithboro, Co Monaghan. A source said the cars were driven at 'extremely high speeds', and the young fugitive has been taunting gardaí on social media since his escape. However, gardai have now also caught up with her boyfriend, who has about 40 previous convictions many of which were for offences he carried out as a juvenile, after he was arrested yesterday. he is due to appear in court later today.
Sunday World
18 hours ago
- Sunday World
Family fulfil Ian Bailey's last wish to have his ashes spread in west Cork
Bailey collapsed and died from a heart attack while out walking in Bantry on January 21, 2024. THE family of Ian Bailey (66) held a special memorial ceremony to spread his ashes in his beloved west Cork - a place they said he adored above all others. The memorial was led today by Mr Bailey's sister, Kay Reynolds, who said her brother adored the area above all others and his family felt it was appropriate that his final resting place should be by Roaringwater Bay. "We wanted to do right by Ian," she explained. "He absolutely loved west Cork with a passion. There was the (European Arrest) warrant which meant he could not leave the country but he said he would not want to be anywhere else. Ian Bailey was the chief suspect for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Photo: Getty "It was very appropriate that this is where we spread his ashes. It is something he wanted. It came up in conversation with him." His family said he spent the bulk of his adult life in the area around Schull and it had inspired much of his prose and poetry. Mr Bailey collapsed and died from a heart attack while out walking in Bantry on January 21, 2024. The Manchester-born journalist and poet was the chief suspect in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier (39) murder investigation. Ms du Plantier, a French film executive, had tried to flee from an intruder at her home but was caught and savagely beaten to death on December 22/23, 1996. British journalist Ian Bailey. Photo: Collins News in 90 Seconds - June 20th Mr Bailey had reported on the killing for Irish, British and French newspapers before becoming a Garda suspect. Ms Reynolds said she believes the stress her brother was under from being wrongly associated with the crime for almost 30 years took a toll on his health. "Without question - I don't think there would be any doubt about that,' she said. "He had been quite fit until the last couple of years. It finally got to him. He was not taking care of himself but it was all to do with the pressure. It had been relentless for almost 30 years. It took its toll on him. "There were times he did not help himself. I think if he had kept quiet it would have been better but that was not Ian's style. "He had nothing to hide and he would not hide. He confronted his challengers face on." Ms Reynolds said her brother was a hugely talented journalist - and regularly obtained details on stories that other journalists did not. She said she believes his abilities as an investigative journalist most likely brought him to Garda notice because of the information he obtained about the case. "Garda felt there were things that only somebody involved in the crime would have known. I don't think that helped,' she said. "But as a family we never thought that he had done this. That was Ian's style of journalism - in Gloucester he did stuff about GCHQ that other journalists didn't. He thought outside the box. "I think that was what happened there and became his downfall. That is how he became a suspect. "From the moment he told us - he phoned us to let us know we would start to see things in the paper about him - we never doubted him that he had been involved in this." Ms Reynolds stressed that her family have enormous sympathy for the du Plantier family and what they have gone through over the past 29 years. "This is not to forget that a very young mother was brutally murdered. I feel so sorry for the family because of the misguided belief that Ian committed the murder they have just had so many years of torture,' she said. "I just wish them peace around this. Hopefully the cold case will throw up something that will be of help to them.' The ceremony was attended by around 40 people including members of the legal profession who had worked with Mr Bailey, journalists and local friends. Mr Bailey, a freelance journalist, 'New Age' gardener and wood turner, collapsed and died while out walking on Barrack Street in Bantry. He was pronounced dead before he could be transferred to Bantry General Hospital with his collapse coming just weeks after he had suffered a series of heart attacks. Mr Bailey died just one week before his 67th birthday, having been warned before Christmas that he needed to get stronger before doctors would proceed with planned bypass and stent surgery. His remains were cremated in a private ceremony at the Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, with the arrangements handled by an undertaker from outside west Cork. Ms Reynolds is Mr Bailey's next of kin and gave evidence in 2015 during his High Court action for wrongful arrest against the State as to the impact on her brother of the French arrest warrant and his inability to leave Ireland even to visit his dying mother. Mr Bailey's long-time solicitor, Frank Buttimer, who attended the memorial service, said he remained convinced that Mr Bailey "had nothing whatsoever to do with this crime". He also said he was convinced that being wrongly associated with the crime for so many years "was a major factor in his ill health'. Award-winning Irish film director Jim Sheridan (74) produced a Sky TV documentary, 'Murder at the Cottage,' on the Toormore killing. He got to know Mr Bailey during the years of its production. The documentary series was launched in 2021, the same year as a major Netflix series on the murder. Mr Sheridan has previously insisted that all his research led him to believe that Sophie was killed by someone she knew. "I genuinely believe the answer to the murder will be found in France,' he said. "My conclusion is that in many ways Ian Bailey has been punished for this crime. He has been marked down as a killer for over 25 years and found guilty in a French courtroom, so he has suffered, even if he never faced a jury in a criminal case." Mr Bailey was arrested twice by gardaí in 1997 and 1998 for questioning in respect of Sophie's murder. He was released without charge on both occasions and has vehemently protested his innocence for the past 27 years. No one has ever been charged in relation to Sophie's death in Ireland. Mr Bailey sued eight Irish and British newspapers for libel in 2003 after claiming he was branded as the murderer. He also took an action - which he lost - against the State for wrongful arrest in 2014/15. After an eight year French investigation, he was prosecuted for Sophie's murder at a Paris trial in May 2019 and convicted of her murder. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison - but had to be tried in absentia after he refused to attend the French hearing which he dismissed as "a show trial" and "a mockery of justice". Mr Bailey warned the Irish Independent in April 2019 that he was "being bonfired". The French failed on three separate occasions since 2010 to have Mr Bailey extradited to France. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) studied the Garda case file but ruled out any charges in 2000/2001 citing lack of evidence. A Garda cold case review is currently underway and has continued despite Mr Bailey's death. The Garda investigation into Sophie's death has been open and active over the past 28 years. It is planned that a revised and updated file will be submitted to the DPP. The campaign group which secured the French prosecution of Mr Bailey for Sophie's murder vowed to continue their campaign to secure justice for the mother-of-one despite his death 18 months ago. ASSOPH, the association for the truth about the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, vowed that they will continue to campaign amid hope that "new elements" will finally reveal the precise circumstances of the death of the French film executive in the early hours of December 23, 1996. Sophie was battered to death as she apparently tried to flee from an intruder at her isolated Toormore holiday home - running over fields before her clothing snagged on barbed wire allowing the killer to catch her. ASSOPH claimed that Mr Bailey had "taunted" the police over the past three decades - and claimed that the Irish judicial authorities never wanted to extradite him to France despite three attempts to do so since 2010. "On January 21, 2024, Ian Bailey passed away, 27 years after the horrific murder committed in Ireland against Sophie Toscan du Plantier, born Bouniol," they said. "The Paris Criminal Court sentenced him in absentia on May 31, 2019, to 25 years in prison for murder. "Despite this trial and France's repeated requests for his extradition, Ian Bailey remained free, never facing charges from the Irish justice system. "With Bailey's death, Sophie's family and our association will never be able to obtain a confession from Ian Bailey. "We continue our efforts for truth and justice. An investigation is underway in Ireland, and we are confident that the discovery of new elements, the hearing of new witnesses, and the revelation of possible complicity will enable Irish police to close the case, years after the murder."
