Controversial 'Enders episodes defended

The BBC has defended controversial EastEnders episodes showing sex and violence after complaints from more than 250 viewers.

A scene on August 4, in which Denise Fox was attacked by her ex-husband, prompted 128 complaints, while Carly Wicks and Jake Moon's romantic encounter on August 1 upset 129 viewer.

The first saw Denise (Diane Parish) dragged up the stairs and punched by Owen Turner (Lee Ross) after she stabbed him with a fork. Carly (Kellie Shirley) and Jake (Joel Beckett), meanwhile, were seen having sex on a nightclub floor.

Executive producer Kate Harwood said both scenes were judged necessary to depict the emotion in the situations.

"We acknowledge that some viewers considered it disturbing," she explained of the fight, "but felt that, in tackling the issue of domestic violence, it was important to reflect realistically the sort of violence suffered by the victims in these sorts of situations."

And on the sex scene she added: "The intention of the scene was to indicate the passion of a couple being carried away by the moment, but we feel any sexual activity was implied rather than explicit."