The BBC has received a barrage of complaints about violent scenes in EastEnders an hour before the watershed. More than 600 telephoned and sent angry emails about the broadcast, shown at a time when many youngsters were watching.
The episode, on Tuesday, showed a gang of thugs rampaging through the Old Vic attacking drinkers with baseball bats and glasses and smashing furniture with hammers as they hunted for reformed soccer hooligan Jase Dyer.
In one scene, a heavily-pregnant Honey Mitchell was thrown to the floor and had to be taken to hospital.
The episode began at 8pm after a warning and was watched by 9.6 million people.
John Beyer, director of pressure group Mediawatch UK, said: "This representation of gang violence was completely beyond the pale for a programme that is shown at that time of the evening and repeated in the afternoon on Sunday.
"It's a ratings game and they seem prepared to do anything to attract controversy."
A total of 622 viewers complained directly, condemning the brutality as "disgraceful" and "sickening".
Many more committed their views to internet message boards. One wrote: "The violence, vandalism and terror in the first few minutes of the programme have sickened me for the last time.
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