Criminal Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults: County Lines & Cuckooing
What is cuckooing?
Cuckooing is when a person’s home is taken over for the purpose of criminal activity. It is most commonly seen in County Lines. This is where a drug dealer or group of drug dealers takes over the premises of a vulnerable person either by friendship, force, or a combination of both, before turning it into a base to store money, weapons, and prepare, and sell drugs from. A criminal will often befriend a vulnerable person, as comfort levels rise more criminals are brought to the home, adding to the activity, and taking over the property entirely. Cuckooing is typified by some form of power imbalance in favour of those perpetrating the exploitation. Whilst age may be the most obvious, this power imbalance can also be due to a range of other factors including gender, cognitive ability, physical strength, status, and access to economic or other resources.
- Can affect any vulnerable adult over the age of 18 years;
- Can still be exploitation even if the activity appears consensual;
- Can involve force and/or enticement-based methods of compliance and is often accompanied by violence or threats of violence;
- Can be perpetrated by individuals or groups, males or females, and adults or young people.
Home Takeover – Targeted and Trapped
Watch and share our Animated Video Home Takeover – Targeted and Trapped to find out more.
Lewisham Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement, Recovery) 
The programme seeks to ensure that more people get effective treatment, with enhanced treatment and recovery provision, including housing and employment support, and improved communication between treatment providers and courts, prisons, and hospitals.
The Lewisham Project ADDER Team have produced an Are You Aware of Cuckooing leaflet.
For additional information on cuckooing, please see the 'Introduction to Cuckooing' presentation.
What to do if you suspect a property is being ‘cuckooed’?
Call the Metropolitan Police Service on 101 (or 999 in an emergency or crime in progress) to report your concerns.
You can also report your concerns online.
If you don’t want to speak to the police directly, you can call
Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.
or
Lewisham Council by telephone (non-emergency only) 0800 028 2028 or contact them by email.
What to do if you are a Lewisham professional who is concerned
There are many forms and ways that adult abuse and neglect can occur, so we should not be constrained by definitions and terminologies.
Adult abuse is also often complex involving more than one type of abuse occurring at any one time.
How to Report Your Concerns
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Lewisham Victim Care Pathway
Professionals should also make a report to Police if you think someone may be a victim of exploitation, contact them on 101 or report it online.
Guidance and Toolkits
LSAB Cuckooing A Brief Guide for Professionals
A brief guide for professionals including information on
- What is Cuckooing
- Common Indicators of Cuckooing
- What can I do to help make the adult safe?
- Relationship-Based Practices
- Person-Centred Interventions
- Partnership Working
- Advice for Submitting an Adult Safeguarding Concern
- Support for Lewisham Professionals
Preventing and Disrupting Cuckooing Victimisation: Professional Toolkit
Leeds University, Law School has produced a professional toolkit aimed at preventing and disrupting Cuckooing.
The toolkit resources have been designed to improve awareness of cuckooing victimisation, encourage professional and public curiosity, and improve reporting and intervention.
Crime and Policing Bill
Child criminal exploitation and 'cuckooing' factsheet (Published 25 February 2025)
The government are creating a new standalone offence to prosecute adults committing child criminal exploitation and creating a new regime for child criminal exploitation civil preventative orders to prevent exploitative conduct committed by adults against children from occurring or re-occurring.
They are also creating a new bespoke criminal offence to tackle the practice known as ‘cuckooing’ (home takeover), whereby criminals take control over the home of another person to use it for criminal activity.
Learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews
Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board has conducted a Thematic Safeguarding Adults Review on three cases of Cuckooing: Katie, James And Luke. Read about the cases, the findings and recommendations.
The Voice of the Adult
Catalyst Support presents a short film based on a personal experience of a cuckooing victim.