Children aged nine recruited to carry drugs

CHILDREN as young as nine are being recruited to join criminal gangs, a report warns today.

Primary school pupils ferry drugs and hide weapons for older siblings who are established gang members.

The study called for more police in schools, shorter lunch breaks, and staggered school closing times to stop rival groups clashing after lessons.

The 135-page report, produced for teachers' union NASUWT by consultancy firm Perpetuity, said: "Challenging young people's attitudes at an early age and developing education packages for children of primary school age who may be at risk of involvement in gangs is essential."

School staff were concerned that children were "becoming involved in gangs as young as age nine, 10 and 11". Primary pupils were trying drugs such as cannabis and associating themselves with gang-territory postcodes.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: "It is clear that gang problems need to be acknowledged by schools to enable them to be tackled head on."