(Image: Christina Gabbitas)
Young writers are being celebrated for using poetry to raise awareness of county lines exploitation.
The winners of a national poetry and lyric-writing competition, aimed at tackling crime through creative expression, were announced by Harrogate author and organiser Christina Gabbitas.
The 2026 edition of the scheme, which invites young people to write about county lines and related issues, attracted hundreds of entries from across the UK.
Ms Gabbitas said: "Huge congratulations to the three winners of our national poetry and lyric initiative.
"I'm not able to share some names, but in second place is Chereece Bateson and in third place, Imogen Johnston.
"This year, we have had hundreds of entries from all corners of the UK and the quality of submissions was outstanding, with many reflecting genuine life experiences, all contributing to our mission to give children and young people a voice."
The competition was inspired by a session Ms Gabbitas held with North Yorkshire Police at Rossett High School in Harrogate, following the launch of her book Trapped in County Lines.
After the session, a student wrote a poem that motivated her to start the programme and publish the creative work that has recently won a national book prize for its impact.