EastEnders spoilers: Jim Branning to be laid to rest in tribute episode to John Bardon

Branning's East End funeral will take place next month, with on-screen wife Dot Cotton due to arrive in handcuffs at the scene

John Bardon outside pictured outside the House of Parliament in 2005 (Getty Images)

EastEnders is set to pay tribute to late actor John Bardon in a special episode that will see the residents of Albert Square bury his character.

Bardon, who played Jim Branning in the soap since 1996, died last September aged 75.

The popular actor will be remembered in a tribute episode next month that will see him given a traditional East End funeral.

Bardon’s character Jim has been kept alive off-screen in a nursing home, where on-screen wife Dot Cotton has regularly visited him over the past few years.

Branning and June Brown in 'EastEnders': his illness was written into the series (PA/BBC)

Cotton is reported to attend Jim’s funeral in handcuffs as she awaits the murder trial of her wayward son Nick Cotton.

An episode of EastEnders was dedicated to Bardon on 12 September last year following the news of his death.

EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins previously told Digital Spy: “We are planning to celebrate John. You've got to be really careful with these things, but it's only right to do it.

”I went to John's funeral and I spoke to his wife Enda then about doing something on the show. We've chatted to Enda because I wanted to get her blessing in order to do it properly.

“We want to pay tribute to John because he was amazing.”

Bardon’s other screen credits included Rumpole of the Bailey, Dad’s Army, Are You Being Served, Only Fools and Horses and Dad’s Army.