EastEnders fans have voiced their sympathy for character Shirley Carter, who has been jailed instead of her son, Mick.

In an emotional car scene on Thursday night, Mick (Danny Dyer) prepared himself for his apparently inevitable fate, but Shirley (Linda Henry) insisted on a new plan.

The drama came after Aunt Babe’s scheme of illegally selling alcohol at the Queen Vic pub.

As Mick sobbed behind the wheel, his mother calmly told him: “With a bit of luck it might not even go to court, it’s my fault. I knew Babe was selling the booze and you didn’t have a clue.

“That’s why I’m finally stepping up Mick. I’m not asking you, I’m telling you son. I’m going to get you out of this mess. Whether you like it or not.”

The second of the two episodes broadcast on BBC One then ended with a close-up of Shirley, sitting in a cell.

And viewers didn’t think it was really fair…

Shirley’s action also meant that the Carter family could avoid a hefty round of debt that could have led to bankruptcy.

But while it may have been a first jail stint for Shirley, other viewers joked that it wasn’t a first for Linda, who is also well known for playing a central character in prison drama Bad Girls.