Here's Why EastEnders' Gang Grooming Storyline is Desperately Needed

Gang violence in a soap is not a new thing, and the soaps previous storyline see the effect of gang violence after the death of Shakil Kazemi.

EastEnders recently began to tackle the subject vulnerable young people becoming targets of drug dealers.

The BBC recently reported on a story where a six-year-old girl was used to deal drugs. Dealers will usually target those excluded from school, and those with disabilities.

Speaking to the BBC News, Det Ch Insp Wendy Tinkler said: "More often that not, because of their ages, there is no criminal investigation or progression to court", she continued. "And the perpetrator moves on to the next child - they are a commodity and disposable."

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"Some of these children are difficult children. They persistently go missing from home and they will probably engage in anti-social behaviour and be highlighted on a regular basis to the police.

"What we've got to understand is we can't get that tunnel vision that these children have made a choice to do what they're doing - they're being exploited."

EastEnders is now currently only a few episodes into Kate Oates takeover, so we would expect to see a change in the storyline, including a closer look into Evie's background.

We have been briefly introduced to Evie's boyfriend which clearly showed Evie as a victim of domestic abuse. Is it possible that Evie was once innocent and naive like Tiffany, but now desperate to find a way out?

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Despite many viewers airing their dislike of this storyline, and wanting it to be over, EastEnders now have a responsibility to those families around the country who have experienced it first hand, to do the storyline justice and let it play out naturally.

Did you know that nearly 40 vulnerable children are held by police every week on suspicion of peddling Class A drugs – many of them used by County Lines gangs.

Children as young as 12 have been picked up after being recruited as drug runners, Sunday Mirror figures show as of June 2018.

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The newspaper also reported that 1,950 children under the age of 16 were groomed by drug kingpins and held by police over the last 12 months for dealing crack cocaine and heroin say the Freedom of Information responses from 33 of the 44 police forces in England and Wales.

For information on how you can protect children from becoming involved in gangs, visit the NSPCC website.

EastEnders airs weeknights on BBC One.