WORK to combat sexual exploitation and gang crimes across the county has received a £1m cash boost from the Government.

North Yorkshire and the City of York councils are two of only 11 authorities in the country to receive over £1m in the Home Office funding.

It will go towards the councils’ innovative work to help divert young people away from gang crime and sexual exploitation.

The money has come from the Government’s £11.5 million Trusted Relationships Fund which was set up to help social workers, police, nurses and other professionals form close, protective relationships with children and young people at risk of sexual and criminal exploitation.

The Yorkshire project, called The Spheres Project, is a joint bid between North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council.

It also brings in other partners such as the county’s police and health agencies.

The aim of the project is to foster positive and long-term relationships between mentors and vulnerable children and young people at risk of exploitation.

County Councillor Janet Sanderson, North Yorkshire’s executive member for the children and young people’s service, welcomed the funding boost.

She said: “North Yorkshire has a strong reputation as a partner in practice with Government for trialling and developing new methods and we want to test new ways of working which will provide young people at risk and subject to exploitation with strong support networks and trusted and resilient relationships.”

Cllr Keith Myers, City of York executive member for education, children and young people, added: “Child exploitation is a problem in each and every community across the country and it’s vital that we work together with partners to support and protect our most vulnerable young people.

“We have a strong track record of working with organisations in the city and across the county on issues of child protection and crime and this funding will enable us to further progress some of the innovative work we’ve done to date.”

The exploitation of young people due to County lines criminal networks is a growing issue in North Yorkshire and York. T

here is evidence of active networks operating in Scarborough, York and in the rest of the county.

Intelligence shows that children are being trafficked to different parts of the country in order to supply drugs.