Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman) left brother Harry (Elijah Holloway) and dad Teddy (Roland Manookian) a note that

left them stunned in tonight’s episode of EastEnders.

This week, the new Mitchells made new enemies in the form of the Panesar clan. After discovering daughter Avani

(Aaliyah James) had been put in danger courtesy of a boy she was talking to, Ravi (Aaron Thiara) wrongly assumed it was

Barney.

He took the teenager up onto the train tracks and held him over the viaduct. Once Ravi realised he had got the wrong man, Barney was pulled to safety – but the matter wasn’t over.

That evening, Ravi and Nish (Navin Chowdhry) found the call centre on fire. Glancing into the distance, they spotted Harry and Teddy staring at them, very much establishing a new war had been declared.

Trapped in the middle of a new feud is young Barney. In tonight’s episode, he was caught ringing his mum.

Harry sat his brother down and made his opinion on their mum perfectly clear. The older Mitchell reckoned she’s a waste of space, but Barney – who clearly doesn’t know as much as his sibling – couldn’t understand why.

That evening, Teddy found a note on the table from Barney, confirming he’s gone to stay with his mum for a little while.

Harry said that Barney believes their mum has been in Bali for ages, and knew he would soon find out the ‘truth’, whatever that may be.

Harry and Barney’s mum Nicola will be played by Laura Doddington, who has previously starred in the likes of Doctors and Holby City.

When she arrives in Walford, Nicola wastes no time in making her presence felt as she introduces herself to the rest of the Mitchells, and attempts to build bridges with her boys.

Given the tense discussion between Teddy and Harry in tonight’s episode, what other secrets are these new Mitchells hiding?

And why are they so reluctant for Barney to see Nicola?

Discussing her arrival, Laura said: ‘I still can’t believe I’ve joined EastEnders – I keep pinching myself! I grew up watching the show, so the first time I filmed in The Vic, I was like a kid at Christmas to be in such an iconic place with such a brilliant cast and crew. Nicola is a complex woman who comes in like the Tasmanian Devil!

‘She’s strong and completely unapologetic about who she is. I’ve been so lucky to have my Mitchell boys, Roland, Elijah and Lewis, as they’ve taken me under their wing, and we feel like a family already. I’m loving every second so far.’