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A Freedom of Information request submitted to West Yorkshire Police disclosed the record of arrests of children aged between 10 and 17 for drugs supply offences.

The numbers, which span from 2014 to the end of September last year, reveal that some 30 arrests were made on youths in Leeds and Wetherby for dealing drugs.

From the figure, 12 charges were pressed for offences relating to drugs including heroin, crack, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis.

Some 30 arrests were made on teenagers from Leeds over drug dealing offences since 2014, West Yorkshire Police has revealed

October 2017 alone saw five arrests made on youths in Leeds for drugs supply, of which four resulted in prosecution.

Ages of Leeds teenagers arrested over drugs crimes ranged from 15 to 17.

In wider West Yorkshire, there were 84 arrests of under-18s for drug dealing offences, five of whom had travelled from outside the county coming from as far as Cheshire and Coventry.

West Yorkshire Police drug seizures at highest level in decade as serious and or...

County lines-related drugs offences are a big issue in West Yorkshire, where older drug dealers exploit young people to travel to other towns and cities transporting drugs.

West Yorkshire Police arrested 33 people in one week in a seven-day crackdown on such criminals, whilst also seizing various drugs and £18,000 worth of weapons.

Force Drugs Co-ordinator, Jess Clayton, said: “We are doing what we can to bring those criminals to justice but by watching out for a few key warning signs you can help protect loved ones from criminals."

Signs that teenagers may be being exploited by drugs criminals include them going missing, having items of clothing or phones they can't explain how they bought and sudden secretive behaviour.

Police officers are known to patrol stations around Yorkshire to crack down on teenagers travelling between towns and cities by train to distribute drugs

Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), said: “One of the priorities in my police and crime plan is tackling major threats and serious violence which includes organised crime, serious violence and the use of weapons such as knives and guns.

“These are often elements of county lines style criminal activity and we must all work to protect, educate and divert particularly young people away from being caught up in these crime types.

“We are becoming increasingly aware of the efforts and lengths that criminals who supply drugs will go to in avoiding arrest and protecting their criminal activity, including the cruel exploitation of children, young people and vulnerable adults."

Figures reveal number of children arrested in Leeds over drug dealing