Greenwich's Violent and Organised Crime Unit is becoming increasingly concerned about children being used as drug runners

Despite an overall 7.5 per cent drop in crime in the last year, the borough's Violent and Organised Crime Unit (VOCU) is becoming increasingly concerned about children being used as drug runners.

According to the unit's annual performance report, an increasing number of teenagers reported missing have been coming to police attention as drug traffickers for local gangs.

It is believed the use of youths as young as 15 is partly driven by the lower likelihood of them being subjected to invasive searches.

They go missing for days at a time and often return with new clothing or mobile phones.

However, sometimes the rewards for running drugs are not so high.

The unit’s Detective Inspector Jonathan Mearns told News Shopper: "The pay and reward is now down to a lasagne - one of the kids I’ve spoken to said he’d done it for a lasagne.

"When the reward is so little, maybe they are receiving threats to do something they don’t want to, and are being forced."

He added: "We help families to help the youths divert away from crime.

"When we identify someone we look to put in measures to support or divert, and enforce.

"We will knock on doors and parents will tell us they don’t know what to do and they ask us for help."

He added that unless VOCU is made aware of the youngsters, there is little they can do to help and therefore need people to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

VOCU achievements

Over the last year VOCU's focus has been on serious youth violence, the most serious violent offences, knife and gun crime, muggings and drug dealing.

In the last six months a 17-year-old boy had been reported missing 12 times.

He was identified as someone who had been going missing for a number of days and returning with new belongings.

Working with other local organisations, VOCU was able to relocate this boy to the north of England and remove him from the gang's connections.

Last October VOCU officers spoke to a 17-year-old boy well known to police as a perpetrator of serious youth violence and a drug dealer.

They convinced him to move away from the borough for his own safety after he received threats from a rival gang.

A series of operations carried out last year resulted in the seizure of 31 knives, 20 weapons including two firearms, and there were also 39 seizures of class A drugs.

Greenwich borough commander Chief Superintendent Richard Wood said: "Officers in the VOCU have been successful not only in arresting and bringing to court those responsible for violent crime, but have also succeeded in relocating and assisting young people who have been drawn into gangs and have wanted to start again, giving themselves a chance of a fresh start.

"The work carried by the VOCU continues to be instrumental in the reduction of violent crime across the borough".