Cuckooing in Law: Understanding the New Offence in the Crime and Policing Bill 2025
The new criminal offence targeting “cuckooing” is set to enter the statute books under the Crime and Policing Bill 20251. Framed as a move to protect vulnerable people from exploitation, it has been welcomed as a necessary tool in the fight against county lines drug networks.
What Is Cuckooing – and What’s Changing?
Cuckooing refers to a form of exploitation in which an offender takes over the home of a vulnerable person for criminal purposes. The person whose home is taken over (who are often living with additional needs, mental ill health, substance misuse issues, or housing instability) is manipulated or coerced into allowing their home to be used. This is frequently under threat of violence.
Until now, there has been no standalone offence of cuckooing. Prosecutors have relied on broader offences such as conspiracy to supply drugs, modern slavery legislation, or antisocial behaviour powers. The new legislation creates a specific criminal offence of using or threatening to use someone’s premises for criminal activity.
The offence of Cuckooing is defined in the Crime and Policing Bill 2025 as:
Controlling another person’s home for criminal purposes.
In summary, the offence involves someone exercising control over another person’s dwelling, without the occupant’s consent, for the purposes of using that property to commit criminal offences.
The new offence will carry a maximum sentence of five years2.
“Some Grey Areas”3
Campaigners for homelessness prevention and the rights of vulnerable people have welcomed the introduction of a new offence targeting cuckooing. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that this legislation will mean that victims are “properly protected and prevent these often-hidden crimes from occurring in the first place.”
Dr Laura Bainbridge, associate professor of criminal justice at Leeds University, is a specialist in cuckooing. She outlined that though more consistency on how cuckooing is treated by law enforcement is welcomed, there are complexities that law enforcement should be aware of:
“It may be the case that a vulnerable victim truly believes that the drug dealer is their friend and refuses to eject them from their property – thus moving them towards the offender domain – or it may be the case that the perpetrator has been forced to cuckoo a property, by say county lines gang to pay off the drugs debt, and this moves them towards the victim domain,”
Preventing the criminalisation of vulnerable victims will require a multi-agency approach, sensitivity, and police officers who understand the complex victim–perpetrator dynamics involved in cuckooing.
Protecting the vulnerable: What Comes Next
The new cuckooing offence marks a significant step in recognising and addressing a hidden form of exploitation. Its success, however, will depend not only on the strength of the law but on how sensitively and intelligently it is applied. Ensuring protection, not prosecution, remains the priority for vulnerable individuals experiencing cuckooing and those who advocate for them.
Our expert criminal defence solicitors are experienced in cases involving vulnerable people and new offences such as cuckooing under the Crime and Policing Bill 2025. We provide clear advice, strong representation, and ensure the law is applied fairly. Contact our Crime Team today on 0330 822 3451 for expert legal advice or request a callback.