A TEENAGE drug dealer was spared jail when a court heard she had been forced into selling heroin and cocaine after being groomed by a gang of men.

The 16-year-old girl had been exploited by the men, plied with drink and drugs and sexually assaulted, Bolton Magistrates Court heard.

The girl’s family last night claimed she had been showered with compliments, alcohol and gifts before dealing drugs for the men after receiving threats.

The case follows the recent sentencing of a gang of men in Derbyshire who had sexually exploited teenage girls, which prompted former Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw to hit out at the culture of some Asian men targeting teenagers.

Katie McFarlane, prosecuting, said the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was called by a man she knew on February 9 and asked to sell drugs for him.

Another friend drove her to Tonge Moor and around Bolton selling drugs, while she was directed by phone.

The girl was arrested by police in Flora Street, Bolton, at 3.15pm with £159 in cash and a “large quantity”

of drugs in bags inside her clothing, the court heard Ann Deakin, defending, said her client had been harassed by an Asian man with calls of a threatening and sexual nature.

She said the defendant had been exploited and had previously been given cocktails of alcohol and drugs.

Mrs Deakin also said the girl had been sexually assaulted by another member of the gang.

The girl admitted possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply, supplying cocaine and two further counts of supplying heroin.

She was sentenced to a 12- month intensive supervisionp rogramme — which will also give her up to 25 hours of help and support each week — and a threemonth curfew to remain at home between 7pm and 7am.

After the case, a family member of the defendant said: “Older Asian lads in their 20s are targeting teenage white girls.

“She was just enjoying the attention but this has really been a wake-up call for her.

It has really affected her.

She used to always be out and now she just wants to go to college and start again.

“They were grooming her into drug dealing.”

The relative claimed the same was happening to other girls in the town.