EASTENDERS is to tackle the scandal of the Metropolitan Police strip searching children in a hard-hitting new storyline.

There was widespread outrage in 2022 when it emerged the police had strip-searched a 14 year-old black girl in school.

Scotland Yard was forced to apologise to the girl, known as Child Q, after a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review.

The review found that racial bias had likely contributed to Child Q’s ordeal.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan branded the case “shocking and deeply disturbing”, adding “no child should ever have to face a situation like this”.

Detective Superintendent Dan Rutland of the Met’s Central East Command apologised in 2022 saying: “We recognise that the findings of the safeguarding review reflect this incident should never have happened.

“It is truly regrettable and on behalf of the Met Police I would like to apologise to the child concerned, her family and the wider community.”

Now EastEnders are set to tackle the issue with Avani Nandra-Hart becoming victim to a similar incident next week.

The 15 year-old will be found by police while skiving from school with Lily Slater, Amy Mitchell and vape-seller Marvin who tries to sell them drugs.

Marvin runs, leaving behind his drugs at Avani’s feet and all three of them are taken to the station.

While Jack and Jean arrive to collect Amy and Lily, neither Ravi or Priya answer their phones to collect Avani.

She will be left horrified when the officers explain they need to strip search her as they believe she could have more drugs concealed.

At the police station, a terrified Avani is strip-searched by two female officers and refuses the offer of an appropriate adult in the room.

Later, Suki arrives, having been tipped off by Jean, and is horrified to hear what’s happened, but Avani won’t allow her to lodge a complaint.

Back at No.41, Priya questions Avani on her whereabouts and an argument breaks out  between the pair as Avani suggests that Priya is a bad mother.

It’s not long before Priya discovers that Avani was detained and strip searched, and Priya storms over to No.27 to rage to Jack about Avani’s ordeal at the hands of officers at his police station.

Lily and Amy are horrified to discover what has happened, but humiliated Avani lashes out at Suki and Amy and flees. Once alone at home, Avani breaks down.

Later in the week a struggling Avani flees home and is found passed out in the playground.

After that Ravi learns the truth about what happened to his daughter and is left devastated.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 “𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 & 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑤𝑠.𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜” 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧-𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬