What's with all the chavs in Coronation Street?

I hadn't watched Corrie in about 8 years or more until the tram crash and I've been watching it since. I can't understand why all the newer characters (i.e. those who arrived in the last few years) are all as common as muck? It seems that prison sentences, kidnappings, stolen identities and a host of other crimes are just common-place now and the characters take breaking the law in their stride as if everyone in every town in England does it.

It's a shame really as Coronation Street itself is a nice little fictional street which at one time represented (to me) lots of nice old working class neighbourhoods in Manchester. Obviously there's bound to be a mix of people but to have ALL (it seems) the newer characters behave with zero class, no ambition and a total lack of dignity just seems sad and unrealistic.