Eastenders rapped over mobile gaffe

THE producers of the BBC soap EastEnders have been criticised by watchdog Ofcom after a woman received obscene phone calls when her mobile number was accidentally broadcast.

Beautician Lisa Edwards' number appeared on screen last year on the phone of character Ricky Butcher. It was seen beneath a close-up of a text message sent by his ex-wife Sam Mitchell.

The number and messages appeared on the prop phone on the 7 September episode on BBC1 last year and went out again on the BBC3 repeat. The BBC said the number should not have been broadcast and apologised to Mrs Edwards for the error.

After the broadcast, Mrs Edwards received calls asking if she was "Sam from EastEnders", while others reportedly asked for dates and sex.

Mrs Edwards received 2,800 texts after the incident, but the BBC said many were the result of a screen-grab of the phone published with a newspaper story.

Ofcom said Mrs Edwards' privacy had been "unwarrantably infringed", adding: "Ofcom did not consider that there was any justification for broadcasting the information."