Heather Trott faces ’battle for life after being gassed’

More bad news is on the way for the eternally unlucky Heather, played by Cheryl Fergison. A shortage of money leads to her being unable to pay to have her gas boiler repaired.

According to reports in the Mirror, Heather collapses after inhaling carbon monoxide from the dodgy boiler.

Best friend Shirley Carter finds her unconscious, but still breathing, on the sofa and viewers will be left with a real cliff-hanger as they wait to discover whether Heather survives.

An EastEnders source said: ’Her life hangs in the balance after she collapses in the house. She is in a really bad way. It is a race against time to get her to hospital.’

The BBC One soap began the year in controversial fashion with the Ronnie Branning-Kat Moon cot death, baby swap story and followed it up with the attack on Connor Stanley.

Further hard-hitting plots are on the way, with rumours suggesting Phil Mitchell is set to suffer a massive heart attack and Whitney Dean becomes a prostitute.