Walford residents are set for an emotional day as they gather to a final goodbye to Shakil Kazemi who was stabbed and killed by a gang in an episode of EastEnders in May.
Soap fans are bracing themselves for emotional scenes next month as EastEnders prepares to screen a special episode featuring the funeral of Shakil Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi).
Pictures released by the BBC show Shakil’s photo in a frame beside his wooden coffin. There are also flowers that read the word "Son" that can be seen below the coffin in the church.
As everyone arrives at the service, a tearful Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield) and Keegan Baker (Zack Morris) share some words about their friend.
Other residents at the funeral include Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper), Mo Harris (Laila Morse), Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith) and Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris).
During the episode, viewers will also hear true life accounts from those who have lost someone to knife crime.
EastEnders executive consultant John Yorke said the need to include the true accounts became apparent when the show's researchers spoke to the families about the storyline.
"From the very beginning we were determined to treat the difficult subject of knife crime in a responsible, non-sensationalist way," he said.
"We started out with detailed research, and the more stories we heard, the more we felt other people should hear them too.
"The episode gradually evolved into something unique for EastEnders - real families telling their own devastating stories alongside our own characters.
"We've tried to find a way to do justice to an incredibly difficult, tragic and emotive subject, and, with huge help from the families of real-life victims and the support groups they work with, we hope we've come some way to getting that enormity across."
Additionally, BBC Three will be producing a series of short films that will reveal more about the lives of the families involved in the episode.
Written features about the families will also be created for the digital channel's social media platforms and website.
This episode airs on Friday July 6.
