Devious Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) has revealed to her stunned family that Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) was her Christmas Day attacker – but a further shock soon followed.

During the festive period, viewers of the BBC soap were treated to their next big ‘whodunnit’ storyline, as a shamed Cindy was smacked across the head with a snow shovel after she caused a huge scene over the turkey dinner.

Her fling with former step-son Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) had been exposed, and a pregnant Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) told everyone that she had been dealing her painkillers.

Ostracised from her clan, she prepared to leave Walford. However, she was stopped in her path by a mystery assailant.

After waking up from a medically induced coma, she pointed her finger at pretty much everyone.

Evidence was stacked up – but during February’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, the truth was outed.

After Cindy aimed a gun at her estranged partner Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) – who was holding the missing locket she believed was the final clue to nailing her walloper – he revealed that their son Peter (Thomas Law) was actually responsible.

Kathy then admitted that she had taken the locket from Cindy’s unconscious body, and was the one responsible.

She confessed that she wanted to put an end to the years of misery that Cindy has brought upon Albert Square.

In tonight’s episode, having returned to the area for Peter and Lauren’s engagement party, all hell broke loose!

Lauren discovered that her fiancé had been in touch with his mother, and dealt an ultimatum – he had to choose between them.

Everyone ordered Cindy to leave, and she quickly came to the conclusion that she had very little to lose.

In front of Kathy, Peter, Ian, George and Elaine Knight (Colin Salmon and Harriet Thorpe), she dropped the bombshell that Kath’ had attacked her and had allowed everyone else to be blamed.

The Knights weren’t pleased – but Ian jumped in to defend his mum, revealing that Cindy subsequently shot him and then tried to push him in front of Reiss Colwell’s (Jonny Freeman) car.

This would then cause a horrific chain of events which would kill Martin Fowler (James Bye) in the explosion at The Queen Vic.

Knowing that she was responsible for the death, Cindy strolled off into the darkness with a bottle of champagne, while Kathy pleaded with George and Elaine, asking them not to go to the police.

They realised that the community had already suffered enough, and wanted to draw a line under it.

Elsewhere, Cindy went to have a face off with Lauren. As she stormed in, Lauren’s waters broke – she was in labour!