Podcasts · The Story

Best of: On the line - a family business

17 Aug 2026 · 32 min

This is episode one of a five-part special investigation into county lines drug dealing from The Times and The Sunday Times first published in March.

Today we reveal how police took down the family controlling the drug trade in one British city, creating a power vacuum that was filled by a new breed of violent, criminal operation - county lines.

The Sunday Times' northern editor David Collins is given unprecedented access to North Yorkshire Police as they fight back against the drug gangs.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Read more: Exposed: how drug gangs deal without fear as the law can’t keep up | I was a county lines drug runner. I tried to quit, then I was stabbed

Watch: School-age kingpins: why children now hold the key to county lines

Host: David Collins

Producers: Kate Lamble, Taryn Siegel

Executive producers: Tim Walklate, Dan Box

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links in the notes 5

• https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/drug-gangs-investigation-wxj89ktm6
• https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/i-was-county-lines-drug-gangs-investigation-lszgnwjqp
• https://www.thetimes.com/video/originals/article/school-age-kingpins-why-children-now-hold-the-line-phone-hd3fdsfqv
• https://www.thetimes.com/subscribe/
• https://acast.com/privacy

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)