Episode 4

Three miles north of the city centre is a little-known Manchester suburb called Harpurhey. Ten years ago it was labelled the most deprived neighbourhood in England, but there's a lot more to life around here than government statistics.

In this six-part documentary series, a vibrant mix of feisty, witty and headstrong young people show us what it's really like growing up the hard way.

We meet young mum Sherelle, 22, and her son Cairell, 3, who was born when Sherelle was in prison. Since getting out, she been determined to stay out of trouble for the sake of her son and hasn't put a foot wrong. But with so much temptation, can she stay on the straight and narrow?

Sherelle's mum Mandy and her neighbour Katie live on Brentford Street, a street in the centre of Harpurhey that's often the cause of headaches for the police and the council. Landlord Nik owns seven of the houses on the street and he has received complaints about both Mandy and Katie. Now they are facing eviction by the council and the police are gearing up to raid one of the properties. Can peace be restored to life on Brentford Street?

Catching up with the Wakefield family who own the Wishy Washy launderette, 11-year-old Maddy is about to start high school. Now she's getting older, Maddy is determined to assert her independence - which isn't going down well at home. Can her parents Karen and Paul curb Maddy's behaviour before she starts school?

Louise, 26, works in local hair salon Stax, where the chat and gossip always flows with workmate Donna. Louise had a tough start in life - her dad was a drug addict who spent most of Louise's childhood in and out of prison. But now he's a reformed character and their relationship is much more positive. Five months pregnant with her first child, Louise is determined to give her baby the happy family upbringing she never had.