A police man has slammed TV soaps and blamed them for driving youth to binge drinking.

Pat Shearer, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said that EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale have too many scenes in pubs.

He told The Sun: “It’s little wonder we are the way we are. You sit down in front of the television and every evening you’re effectively in a pub.

“Everybody is encouraged to drink and it almost creates the norm. Producers need to recognise the impact they may be having on individuals.”

A BBC spokeswoman said: “EastEnders also shows negative consequences.”