Two youngsters with blurred faces stand in a kitchen side-by-side. One teenager is holding a large serrated knife pointed downward, and has an arm around the other teen's shoulder while pointing his index finger towards the camera. The teen next to him is holding the black knife case while making a W gesture with his other hand. Both are wearing dark jackets, and one is wearing a light-coloured T-shirt with the word “BOSS” printed on the front. Kitchen cupboards, a sink, a cooker and bottles on a countertop are visible in the background.Image source, Facebook
Image caption,

Teenagers posing with knives are readily seen on social media

ByPritti Mistry, Vicky Johnson and Caroline Bilton, BBC Yorkshire & Lincolnshire Investigations
  • Published4 hours ago

A mother whose son was groomed by a gang at the age of 13 before being taken into care claims the local authority housed him "right in the centre of exploitation", despite repeated pleas for help.

Within months of being recruited, she said her son was being forced to deliver drugs in Grimsby for up to 36 hours at a time – a "job" he got as easily as "a paper round".