A special police task force has been launched to crackdown on so-called 'cuckoo' dealers who have been moving into Swadlincote to peddle drugs using violence and intimidation tactics.

Cuckoo dealers come from big cities like London and Birmingham and target drug dealers in smaller towns using threats and violence to force people to work for them.

Local dealers end up having to sell drugs for city dealers, many forced to work out of their own homes, hence the term 'cuckoo'.

It comes after a court case last week when George Lopes, 18, travelled to NewhallNewhall from London to 'take over' two addresses in Lanes End, Newhall, and Midland Road, Swadlincote.

He has now been sent to a young offenders' institution for three years after admitting possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

George Lopes is one such drug dealer who travelled to Swadlincote from London

Police say drug barons from big cities, including London, Birmingham and Nottingham, are targeting Swadlincote in an attempt to muscle in and take over the local market.

Officers have revealed that Newhall Park is being used as a dealing den as big city drug barons terrorise known local dealers and 'cuckoo' their homes to sell drugs from houses in Swadlincote.

In an attempt to stamp out the problem - which they also refer to as 'county lines', officers have set up a local task force within the town and warrants have already been issued across the district.

South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler is now encouraging her constituents to phone police with any information in a bid to deal with drugs issues in the town.

South Derbyshire MP, Heather Wheeler believes the minimum voting age should remain at 18
South Derbyshire MP, Heather Wheeler hopes people will speak out

George Lopes was sent from London to run an operation selling crack cocaine and heroin in Swadlincote.

Derby Crown Court heard how the teenager first targeted a woman living in a flat in Lanes End, Newhall, where a police searched found him with wraps of almost 70 per cent pure crack cocaine in January.

He was released under investigation from that offence and went back to London but returned to Derbyshire in March where he ran from police officers carrying out a second raid at an address in Midland Road, Swadlincote. He was captured in a nearby park where more wraps of crack cocaine and heroin were found in his jacket.

It comes after Midland Road was also the scene of a brutal assault in which one man was attacked last week. Police have since urged social media users not to incite violence.

Derbyshire Police Chief Superintendent Jim Allen has also visited the town to update members of South Derbyshire District Council on the growing problem of drug gangs on their doorstep.

Police tweeted out this photo
Police have executed drug warrants across Newhall

During the latest Newhall Area Forum, PCSO John Beard said drug warrants had been executed at addresses in Newhall in High Street; Parliament Street; Plummer Road; Meadow Lane; Lanes End, and Woodland Road, Stanton.

It was revealed at the forum earlier this year that two such 'cuckoo' operations had been shut down by police in the Newhall area.

PCSO Beard said: "There have been issues around Newhall that we are aware about and intelligence states that drugs are being used in Newhall Park and there have been incidents of drug deals there.

"We are looking for people to help us identify these people, any busy times, and any locations."

The PCSO added that drug warrants had been executed elsewhere in Newhall thanks to a special task force set up to tackle so-called 'county lines' drugs cases.

A variety of drugs were uncovered, including cocaine, heroin, cannabis and prescription drugs, he said.

Sergeant Graham Summers explained the worrying phenomenon of 'county lines', saying: "Dealers in cities, where there is so much competition, look for other ways of making money so they come to smaller towns such as Swadlincote and almost terrorise the local dealers to get them to deal drugs for them at their address so they can make a lot of money from local people.

"It is a phenomenon we are seeing over the last few years and we are putting in extra resources."

An alleged cannabis farm has been discovered in Hilton
Dealers from cities are making their home in Swadlincote

Sergeant Summers added that the new breed of drugs dealers would be people locals would not recognise. He urged the public to note down any registration plate numbers or make any CCTV available.

He added: "We have arrested numerous people from London, Birmingham, and Nottingham who are not from around here."

Councillor Paul Dunn, who represents Midway on South Derbyshire District Council, asked if vehicle recognition systems were being used to find these people.

Sergeant Summers said that while the system was used by police to track drug dealers down where they could, many vehicles used in crime often had bogus number plates.

He said: "So it takes us a little while to understand what car is doing what. The system can be handy but it is difficult in real time to know which vehicles they are in."

A day after the meeting, Chief Superintendent Jim Allen visited members of the district council at a meeting to further explain 'county lines' cases.

He said: "We have surveillance teams, informants and police in discreet settings working hard to dismantle these gangs.

Councillor Paul Dunn was concerned about number plate recognition

"We are trying to make South Derbyshire a hostile environment for dealing drugs.

"You cannot get in and out of South Derbyshire without one of our cameras picking you up via number plates.

"The problem is probably not going to go away but we will continue to do our damndest to make sure South Derbyshire is not affected."

MP Heather Wheeler, said county lines was not just about drug dealing, but also included modern day slavery, human trafficking and sex exploitation.

She said: “County lines is a rapidly developing national issue involving not only the police, but also local councils and the NHS. The Government is serious about addressing this problem and has targeted it in its Serious Violence Strategy which was published in April 2018.

Sergeant Graham Summers spoke out at Newhall Area Forum warning residents about county lines

"However, it is important to recognise that county lines is not just about drug dealing. It includes modern day slavery, people trafficking, violence, sexual exploitation and missing persons. It can affect vulnerable adults as well as children and in some instances those as young as 12 have been exploited.

"Derbyshire Police are taking this issue very seriously as is clear from the special task force it has set up. Officers are working with many other agencies and organisations to tackle county lines because the issue cannot be contained to just one area.

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"Communities in Swadlincote and Newhall can play their part too by reporting anything suspicious on 101 or in the case of a serious incident, calling 999 immediately.

"No detail is too insignificant and we can all play a part in trying to root out this poison which ruins the lives of so many.”