Dealers using children as young as ten as drugs couriers in Derry says Aontú councillor Emmet Doyle

Aontú representative Emmet Doyle said he was shocked that young children were being used to transport drugs for dealers in the city.

He said anybody manipulating children in this manner should be 'robustly confronted'.

“I met with a senior officer about a range of issues including drug enforcement in the city. It had been suggested to me that young children were being used to deliver drugs to customers by dealers in certain parts of the city, children as young as ten.

"I was shocked that the officer confirmed that this was a practice being undertaken in our community.

"This is a development that will cause anger and justifiable concern amongst parents in particular as it is evident children would not know the seriousness of what they are involved in," he said.

The Ballyarnett representative said Aontú wanted perpetrators and dealers to face the 'full force of the law'.

"Those who seek to use the innocent in our community to peddle death and misery should be robustly confronted and we will continue to demand that action is taken without fear or favour by police and the courts," he said.