CANVEY cops are calling on islanders to help them in the fight against youths dealing drugs on the streets.

It follows a 16-year-old being charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Families have called on police officers to spend more time educating young people on the dangers but officers responded they are needed on the streets and everyone has a responsibility to combat the danger.

A spokesman for the Castle Point team said: “The youth service has been into every school and have done a production around drugs and county lines this year and has done an excellent job.

“Officers do go into schools however to do this for every year group at every secondary school would be a full time job and would mean taking officers away from police work in order to teach which is why we work with other agencies.

“If I took officers off the street, I would then be told we should be out arresting people and not in schools teaching so we can’t really win with whatever we do.

“Lots of people suggest on social media about knowing dealers or what’s happening and police need that information from the community to give us a chance of doing anything about it.

“If anyone has information they want to pass to police please call 101, use the link at the top of the page to email the team or contact Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 if you want to remain anonymous.”

Resident Sue Arif said: “16 is old compared to the ones dealing drugs down by the lake - it’s terrible.”

While another resident, Sandy Bart, added: “Let’s hope you have the real suppliers’ name because if you don’t and you don’t act on this then you are allowing this to continue on Canvey.

“It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know kids are being used to supply schools and school children. “This has been going on for over twenty years outside schools including primary schools.

“What are you doing to educate primary school children and provide them a safe number to call? I have shown my ten-year-old grandson the way drugs are made to look like sweets.

“He had no clue because schools are not educating kids and neither are many parents. Police need to be more community aware. Sorry but it has to be said.”

A youth was stopped in a vehicle in Buren Avenue, Canvey in the early hours of Thursday, April 25.

A search of one of the occupants revealed a quantity of wraps of what officers suspected was class A drugs. A 16-year-old was charged in connection with the incident and is due to attend court next month.

His identity cannot be revealed for legal reasons.