EastEnders and Fish Tank star Katie Jarvis ‘arrested’ after racially aggravated pub brawl

Essex police confirmed a 29-year-old woman was arrested on 31 July

(BBC)

Former EastEnders star Katie Jarvis was allegedly arrested last week on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

According to a report in The Sun, Jarvis was involved in a brawl outside a pub in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, last Friday.

Video footage appears to show a white woman fighting with a group of black women, after allegedly shouting “f*** Black Lives Matter” and calling one of them a “f***ing black c***”, according to a witness.

Jarvis was arrested by police following the incident, which allegedly started when she attempted to take a chair from the group’s outdoor table.

Video of the fight, which has been shared on social media, shows Jarvis pushing another reveller, before the conflict spilled onto the street.

The actor is best known for playing Hayley Slater on the BBC soap from 2018 to 2019, as well as for her starring role in Andrea Arnold’s acclaimed 2009 film Fish Tank.

An Essex Police spokesperson said: “A 29-year old woman was arrested on Friday, July 31 just after 10.05pm following reports of a disturbance in Marine Parade, Southend.

“She has been arrested on suspicion of assault and racially aggravated public order. She has been released on bail until Friday, August 21.”

The Independent has contacted Jarvis’s representatives for comment.

Last March, Jarvis tweeted that she was “glassed by a drunken Irish man” during a night out in Romford.

After deleting the post, she confirmed that she had recovered from the incident, and thanked fans for their concern.