A campaign to raise awareness of child criminal exploitation has been launched by Wiltshire police.

Wiltshire Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner have launched the 'Spot the Signs' campaign to help people spot the tell-tale signs of exploitation.

Child criminal exploitation is when criminals use youngsters to commit offences in exchange for cash and gifts.

The campaign includes a targeted social media drive aimed at both young people and adults, educational visits to schools, and real-life case studies from young people who have managed to break free from the criminal world.

Philip Wilkinson, police and crime commissioner for Wiltshire, said: "Child criminal exploitation is often an unnoticed crime, which is what makes it so dangerous with potentially devastating consequences.

"Criminals tend to prey on young children, taking advantage of their innocence for their own benefit whilst putting them in very dangerous situations."

The campaign aims to help people recognise when exploitation may be taking over a young person's life.

This includes spotting signs such as unexplained money or gifts, a significant and sudden fall in school attendance or performance, changes in mood and behaviour, a second phone, relationships with older people and spending more time online with 'friends' you don't know.

Assistant chief constable Mark Cooper said: "The dangers of child criminal exploitation are real and significant, and the purpose of this campaign is to educate both children and parents on how to spot the signs that a child may be being exploited."

The campaign also aims to challenge the perception of the threat of youth knife crime.

A 2023 schools survey found that only three per cent of young people admitted to having carried a knife.

However, most young people estimated that around 19 per cent of their friends and acquaintances carried a knife.

Mr Cooper said: "We know one of the primary reasons young people carry knives is self-defence – the fear that if they are not carrying a knife then they won’t be able to defend themselves against someone who is.

"We must challenge that perception because, as we have seen, the consequences of young people being involved in knife crime can be lifelong."

The campaign is part of a wider effort to tackle serious violence, which has been identified as a priority by both Wiltshire Police chief constable Catherine Roper and the police and crime commissioner Philip Wilkinson.