Eastenders viewers will be shocked by forthcoming scenes in which teenager Jay Brown gets brutally stabbed by members of a local gang.

Over the next few weeks the gang will start to make appearances on the square and their first target will be Bible bashing pensioner Dot Branning/Cotton.

At first Jay is impressed with the bravado of the gang members and joins up, but in a shocking twist Jay ends up a victim of the hooligans and fighting for his life.

The show insider told The Sun: “This is easily one of the most shocking and controversial storylines EastEnders has ever done. It is not a decision bosses have taken lightly, but it is an issue that is top of the news agenda.

“We’re going to tread very carefully – it won’t be gratuitous. The plan is to screen the episodes in the usual slots before the watershed.

“Hopefully by showing the suffering gang violence can cause, some people may think twice about getting involved.”