Debbie Shaw

Debbie Shaw was a timid and mousy member of the youth club at the Community Centre on Coronation Street. She easily fell prey to youth leader Janice Berry who refused to allow her access to a dinnertime disco because she hadn’t brought her the required number of cigarettes. When Debbie turned up later in the day when Community Development Officer Ken Barlow was alone, he asked the girl why she wasn’t in school and was told that she was signed off by her doctor for being run down. Recognising her shyness, he pushed her to attend club events but she told him she couldn’t as Janice wouldn’t let her in (although she didn’t tell him about the cigarettes). This gave Ken the first indication about Janice’s true character and he confronted her with the story, only for Janice to tell him that Debbie was a fantasist who had caused problems before. When Mary Broughton, who had been warned off Ken by Janice, told him that she was leaving the club because of the way she behaved, he decided to take action and forced an election for youth leader at which Mary successfully beat Janice who then walked out in a high dudgeon.