There were heartbreaking scenes in EastEnders as Pam and Les Coker were told of the death of their grandson Paul.

Shirley Carter found Pam (Lin Blakley) first to try to gently break the news to her, but Pam was adamant Paul was still asleep in his bed and tried to protect husband Les (Roger Sloman), who is recovering from a heart attack, from the news.

When she opened the door and found his bed empty, Pam was still in denial that her grandson had been the one who had been attacked and died in hospital the night before.

The two then went with the police to the mortuary, with a desperate Pam leaving a note for Paul, played by Jonny Labey, on the kitchen table, telling him to “please be back soon”.

“Not our little boy, not again,” Pam begged, remembering the loss of their son Laurie too.

Sadly for the couple, it was Paul they identified in the hospital. Returning home, the two went into separate rooms where they both broke down over Paul’s death.

Viewers couldn’t handle how devastating the scenes were to watch.

Fortunately for Phil Mitchell and Ian Beale, Ben Mitchell (Harry Reid) was revealed to be alive but bloodied and bruised.

He told the pair that he had split up from Paul when they were set upon in a homophobic attack and asked how he was, leaving his father to realise that he had no idea Paul was dead.

It was left to sensitive Phil to break the news.

“Your friend, he’s dead,” he said.

“My friend? My friend?” said Ben, as he launched at his father.

“Can you hear what he’s saying? After everything, everything. I love him, mum, I love him,” said Ben, as he fell into the arms of his mum Kathy and then father Phil.

Viewers thought he was right to be angry with Phil.

It was a sad night throughout Albert Square.

EastEnders continues on BBC One on Thursday at 7.30pm.