Latest news with #CountyLines
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
ITV drama axed after one series as lead actor reveals it 'didn't pull viewing figures'
An ITV drama has been axed after just one series, with the lead actor confirming it 'didn't pull viewing figures.' Out There starred Martin Clunes as Welsh farmer, Nathan, whose homestead and family life are threatened by local county lines drugs dealers. But, despite the actor's hopes for a second instalment, the series was not a hit with audiences. He told The Sun: 'We were keen on doing a second series but ITV aren't, it seems. It didn't quite pull the numbers they wanted, unfortunately.' ITV added: 'We are really proud of Out There and would like to thank Martin and the production team for delivering a brilliant series.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The broadcaster continued: 'We do always hope to see our series return and we are sorry we didn't get this drama to connect with a big enough audience to see that happen.' During the series, Out There viewers were left appalled by a 'very grim and dark' murder scene. In episode three, Nathan's son Johnny Williams (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) brutally stabbed a drug dealer to death after he tried to rape his friend. Johnny called his father Nathan to ask for his help in the cleaning up the blood-soaked murder scene - which saw him drag the body down the stairs. But the scenes were branded 'gratuitous' by disturbed viewers, who declared the programme was 'too violent and dark'. They also slammed the shoddy clean-up scenes for being 'far fetched' as they claimed the pair would most definitely be caught for their crimes. Backlash for the violent scenes saw viewers say: 'Yeah. That was awful and gratuitous. Doc Martin is suddenly seeming very appealing,'; 'Oh-oh Kenny looks an absolute horror. Not liking beginning of episode 2 of #OutThere, feeling too violent & dark for me. As the baseball bat comes out I decide *Off*,'; Someone else shared: 'Omg, he's killed him, theirs so much blood…,'; 'This has got very grim..,'; 'Proper dark this innit!?!' Meanwhile they also complained about the clean-up scenes being 'slapdash' as they said: 'They're lucky they don't live in Luton. The Bedfordshire Constabulary would be all over that slapdash clean up job. A bonfire of burnt trainers? Pah. We see it most weeks on,'; 'Surely they could not take the body out without somebody seeing them!'; '#OutThere is a little bit.... Out There,'; 'Nobody will notice a great fire and explosion,'; 'That clean up job won't fool SOCO...,'; 'This is far fetched fantasy nonsense. They've obviously never seen an episode of Silent Witness. They wouldn't have a chance of getting away with that clean up,'; 'Such a stupid far fetched series.'
The Sun
07-05-2025
- The Sun
Eleven kids rescued from clutches of sinister Scots drug mob as 100 hoods arrested
COPS seized drugs worth £4.3million and nicked 100 suspected hoods to smash an emerging underworld network, we can reveal. Detectives rescued kids who had been groomed, uncovered a potentially deadly weapons stash and grabbed £600,000 in dirty cash to dismantle the up-and-coming cocaine cartel. 3 3 Force insiders told how the rising syndicate of dealers had been responsible for exploiting vulnerable children in some of the country's poorest areas. The County Lines network of hoods were supplied from safe houses then transported their drugs between areas by car. Cops made a series of motorway busts to nail alleged couriers as part of Operation Intensity, which was launched in May 2023 to cripple the mobsters' plot. Officers went on to raid dozens of properties, recovering 200kg in illegal drugs. Huge stashes of substances found included heroin, ecstasy, herbal cannabis and other pills. Weapons including a handgun and airguns were confiscated along with ammunition. Specialist officers in Police Scotland's organised crime and counter terrorism unit discovered 11 children at risk while probing the mobsters. The cops ensured the safety of the youngsters by passing them into the care of relatives or referring them to support agencies. They made busts in urban and rural areas around the country in the sustained two-year crackdown. In a motorway swoop in September 2023, officers recovered 11.75kg of cocaine worth £1million on the M74 at Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire. Five months on, specialist officers confiscated a stash of 5,000 ecstasy tablets valued at £25,000 in Broxburn, West Lothian. Cops returned to the M74 to seize 61kg of cannabis worth £340,000, at Abington, Lanarkshire, in June 2024. And a further 5,000 Valium-like etizolam pills thought to be worth £2,500 were taken off the streets in Falkirk the following month. Crime-fighters following the gang's trail then discovered 10,000 diazepam pills valued at £20,000 at an address in Glasgow. Raids continued across the country, including in Argyll and Tayside. Top cops blasted the criminals for grooming kids. Detective Superintendent Stevie Elliot revealed 46 search warrants were executed to disrupt the gang. He added: 'This operation is a clear example of how we use our national resources, alongside the knowledge of our local policing teams, to bring down large gangs operating across the country. 'Organised criminal gangs show no shame or remorse for their actions and all their activities are focused on profiting from exploitation. 'This shows our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, where we work with partners on a multi-agency approach to tackle the threat of organised crime gangs.' County Lines networks are known to trap kids and groom them to shift drugs with promises of cash or threats of violence. Det Supt Elliot explained: 'Our strategy was maximising the safety of the public and protecting vulnerable people, particularly children and young people who are all too often coerced and groomed by County Lines drug dealers.' He urged people to come forward if they have concerns about drugs or organised crime in their communities — insisting police need information to nail more hoods. Supt Elliot added: 'We cannot do this alone and we need the public's help to rid these gangs from their communities.'
Leader Live
02-05-2025
- Leader Live
County Lines Class A drug dealer from Wrexham is jailed
Bailey Geddes, of Churton Road, Wrexham, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (May 1). The 23-year-old had previously admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin between January and March this year. Laura Knightley, prosecuting, said that Merseyside Police led Operation Gasket sought to infiltrate County Lines gangs dealing out of the Liverpool area. The investigation focused on the use of telephones, known as 'graft phones' which are used to advertise drugs to users. The court heard that based on intelligence, police officers raided Geddes' home address in March this year. They recovered two phones - one of which had been smashed in half and the sim card discarded. Police also found cocaine and a cutting agent. However, police were able to uncover messages from both phones. One showed an "active line" with "bulk" messages sent and slang terminology indicative of drug supply used from December 2024. On February 24, that phone advertised a new number which was activated two days later. The number was active in the Caia Park area and again advertised the sale of cocaine and heroin. The court heard that Geddes' operation was thought to be "orchestrated" by Liverpool-based drug gangs. Geddes, who has six previous convictions between 2017 and 2024 for robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and common assault, was arrested. Joshua Gorst, defending, said that Geddes lives in Wrexham - so was not entering the area with the intention of selling drugs and returning home. He said the defendant had lost his job at a food factory as he was supporting his partner with a difficult pregnancy. MORE NEWS: He is said to have struggled to get benefits and turned to drug dealing as a means of supporting his family. Mr Gorst said this was the "motivation" for his offending. Judge Simon Mills said drugs cause "appalling harm" to communities, and "destroy lives". "I see people in the dock every day whose lives have been smashed to pieces by Class A drugs and dealers," he said. "Wrexham is devastated by people coming to the area to sell drugs." He sentenced Geddes to three years and four months imprisonment.
Wales Online
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Hot Chicks review: Powerful play an important message to parents on dangers of drug gangs
A chicken shop, two teenagers, and their day dreams of becoming rich and famous. The world that Cardiff-born playwright Rebecca Jade Hammond has created in her play Hot Chicks is not an uncommon one. But the mundane, and unremarkable setting, and its every day characters, is what is so vital about this show. In a cast of just four people, the story of 15-year-olds Ruby and Kyla, set in Penlan, Swansea, shows the danger presented to innocent young people through County Lines operations - or drug running - and the exploitation of children - a very real issue operating in the underbelly of society. Whilst hanging out at Cheney's chicken shop, they have a chance encounter with older, cooler Sadie. On the face of it, she represents everything they dream about, wearing designer outfits and jewellery, and being able to afford whatever she wants. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . (Image: KIRSTEN MCTERNAN) As they perform dances in their school uniform to post on TikTok, with the aspiration of gaining 100,000 followers to enable them to afford a new life in Las Vegas, it takes very little for them to be drawn to her. Sadie's gestures start off small, casually paying for their dinner, before things become more sinister on repeat visits, when she asks the two young girls to drop off a bag which she 'accidentally' left behind in the chicken shop toilets, which turned out to be full of drugs. Gifts follow, as does the pressure she puts on the young girls, who find themselves deeper and deeper in the illegal operation, and become more and more exploited, with dark and tragic outcomes. Staged at Swansea Grand Theatre, this is an incredibly powerful and moving piece of theatre, with all four cast members excellent in their roles, in particular Londiwe Mthembu as Ruby, who showed a great range of emotion depicting some of the more harrowing experiences she encountered. (Image: KIRSTEN MCTERNAN) Presented by Grand Ambition, the Grand Theatre's Arts Wing was well used to maximise its space available, and lighting and blacked out dance routines were expertly executed to add pacing and tension to the play itself. Mrs Hammond's 75-minute play is a very important watch for parents in this day and age. The playwright explained how the subject matter of the performance has created many conversations among families, and that, in itself, shows its true value. Read a full feature on the background behind the show by clicking here.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
He's been jailed for seven years after what police found in his house
A man will spend seven years behind bars for dealing Class A drugs in Ellesmere Port. Daniel Rea, 32, of Hazel Grove, in Kirkby, was sentenced yesterday (Tuesday, March 18) at Liverpool Crown Court after being found guilty of being concerned offering to supply crack cocaine and being concerned in offerring to supply heroin. The investigation into Rea was under Operation Toxic, which is part of Project Medusa - a Merseyside-led initiative set up to tackle suspected County Lines drug dealing and child criminal exploitation across the country. Rea was identified as being involved in the 'Jay Jay' County Line operating from Merseyside into Ellesmere Port, in Cheshire. An investigation into this drugs plot was launched in August last year and Rea was subsequently arrested the following month. READ MORE: Inside the filthy Merseyside café fined £100k for mouse droppings During a search of his home, officers found a device associated with the Jay Jay line alongside a quantity of cash. Detective Sergeant Shaun McNee said: 'Rea was quickly identified as being part of this County Line operating from Merseyside into Ellesmere Port and he was arrested soon after we began inquiries. 'County Lines gangs have no regard for the young, vulnerable people they coerce in to running drugs across the country, often with threats of violence and intimidation. 'Merseyside Police leads nationally on the response to County Lines through Project Medusa and we will relentlessly target those crime groups who cowardly exploit vulnerable people in our communities. "We know the devastation that drugs cause and Merseyside Police remains relentless in our pursuit of these criminals and ending their drugs trade." Anyone with information about County Lines activity is urged to contact police at @MerPolCC or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always call 999. For the latest news and breaking news visit Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by signing up to our daily and breaking newsletter. Sign up to our breaking news newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter @LivECHONews - the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
