EastEnders under fire for 'anti-Brexit' episode

Writer Leo Richardson has since defended the controversial episode

The writers behind last night’s EastEnders episode have been forced to defend themselves after being labelled ‘anti-Brexit’ by fans of the show.

During the episode, residents of Walford graffitied the message "Poles Go Home" on the Queen Vic following a Polish-themed night at the pub.

After Danny Dyer’s character Mick Carter expressed shock at the incident, Piotr Baumann’s Konrad said how it's "the Britain we live in now”.

While some viewers were impressed with EastEnders for bringing up topical political issues, others were annoyed the BBC would show Brexit voters as being Xenophobic.

One of the writers, Leo Richardson, defended the show on Twitter, responding to those attacking the episode for not being apolitical.

“What you saw on screen was a fictional character expressing his own belief,” he wrote after one Tweeter said the line “It’s the Britain we live in now” was unacceptable. “The side of a under represented group of people, I might add.”

“So are you saying that racism doesn't exist?” he asked another complainer. “And that this isn't a very real problem in Britain today?”

Last month, EastEnders bosses were forced to defend themselves after viewers pointed out similarities between a bus driver crash on the show and the devastating terror attack in Berlin.