'Cuckooing': Calls for government to introduce new criminal offence

Sir Iain Duncan Smith spoke at a two-day conference in Leeds

Former Tory party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has called for "cuckooing" to be made a criminal offence.

Cuckooing is the term used when someone's house is taken over for criminal activity, including dealing drugs or carrying out sex work.

Speaking at a conference in Leeds, Sir Ian said: "Your home should be your safe place, but for victims of cuckooing it has become anything but."

The government has previously said it had no plans to change the law.

Sir Iain raised his concerns about the problem, which was recently highlighted in BBC drama Happy Valley, at a two-day conference at the University of Leeds.

The event heard that victims of cuckooing include people with drug or alcohol addiction issues, those who are struggling financially, the elderly, people with mental health issues and individuals with learning disabilities.

The perpetrators are often involved in county lines drug distribution networks and resort to cuckooing to avoid police detection.

Sir Iain said: "So far the Home Office has not committed to make cuckooing a criminal offence but my parliamentary colleagues and I will be pushing for them to do so and if required, by bringing forward an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill.

"This is a vital issue and we must act now."

BBC drama Happy Valley explored the subject of cuckooing in its final series

Experts at the conference said as cuckooing was not a specific criminal offence there are no official statistics available.

However, during a national crackdown on county lines in October 2021, 894 "cuckooed" addresses were visited.

And in West Yorkshire, according to a Freedom of Information request, police recorded four crimes which contained the keyword "cuckooing" in the crime notes between April 2022 and March 2023, three of which involved victims with a disability.

Dr Laura Bainbridge, a Lecturer in Criminal Justice at the University and the founder and chair of the Cuckooing Research & Prevention Network, added: "County Lines cuckooing is an inherently predatory and exploitative practice that can have a devastating impact on victims and communities."

A Home Office spokesperson called cuckooing an "abhorrent practice" but said there were already "a range of powers and tools available to law enforcement partners and local authorities to disrupt this activity, which can result in criminal sanctions if breached".