A violent scene in BBC One soap EastEnders featuring a character being stabbed has prompted 200 viewers to complain to the corporation.
The episode showed Jay Brown, played by Jamie Borthwick, being stabbed in the leg by a local gang.
Media regulator Ofcom received seven complaints. A spokeswoman said it "would be looking into the matter".
The BBC said: "This is part of a long running storyline that in no way glamorises the use of knives."
'Real issues'
Viewers have seen Jay befriend members of a gang which was terrorising long-serving character Dot Cotton. But the group turned on him after Jay argued with the gang leader.
"EastEnders has always tackled difficult issues and we acknowledge that some viewers could consider this storyline challenging," a BBC spokesperson said.
"However, we aim to reflect real issues and during this storyline the audience will see Jay's torment, through to him deciding not to yield to peer pressure like his father did many years ago.
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"The storyline will culminate in the character of Jay doing the right thing."
The spokesperson added: "The BBC has a strict set of editorial guidelines which all programmes must adhere to, to ensure that the violence portrayed was suitable for pre-watershed viewing."
This is not the first time viewers have complained about the level of violence included in the show.
Back in November the BBC received 663 complaints after scenes showed a gang carrying out an attack in the Queen Victoria pub.
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