A 'vital' £1.4m has been awarded to tackle county lines and child exploitation in Suffolk.

Council heads from across the county unanimously approved the funding during today's Suffolk Public Sector Leaders Group.

The funding's recipient, the Safer Stronger Communities Board (SSCB), is a broad partnership not only including district councils but also police and NHS bodies.

Cllr Bobby Bennett, who chairs the board, said the money would be used to help the group achieve its goals of tackling crime, including preventing county lines and child exploitation.

Cllr Bennett said: "As much as we would like it to, [criminal exploitation] is not going away and it remains a constant threat to our young people, vulnerable adults, and to our communities.

"It continues to evolve and it feels quite relentless at times — any child can be groomed or forced to carry weapons and drugs."

In Suffolk, the fight against county lines is particularly important, having jumped to the third post in the county areas with the most prevalence.

Although since this ranking was attributed, the county's outlook has improved, it remains a serious issue.

In the two years leading to April 2023, the SSCB has contributed to over 100 county lines warrants being undertaken, resulting in 152 people being arrested.

During the same time, the SSCB has also been behind over 500 arrests to do with organised crime, seizing over £1.8m in drugs and weapons.

Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore, stressed the importance of this funding in light of an 'absolutely devastating' new drug, nitazine, which is 500 times stronger than heroin and, he says, is 'highly toxic and damned dangerous'.

Mr Passmore continued: "We have made huge progress but my goodness me, the threat still exists.

"It's not specific, it can hit any community, any family, any individual — we will get there, but we just need to continue.

"It's about joining together, across agencies, cut the politics out of it, I don't give a damn about it."

Cllr John Ward, acting leader in Babergh, said it was essential for the SSCB and other groups to continue its efforts in making sure children 'do not slip through the net'.