List of East Enders Characters (2003) - Gavin Sharp

Gavin Sharp, played by Steve Nicolson, is Shirley Benson's neighbour from hell. He is first seen in Walford in August 2003 when he moves into 89b George street, which is the flat above Shirley's. He works in the Walford video shop.

As soon as he moves in, Gavin starts causing problems for Shirley, by playing his music extremely loudly at all hours of the day and night. After a while, Shirley pleads with him to stop being so inconsiderate, but this only makes him play his music louder. Eventually Shirley reports him to the landlord, and then to council. After Gavin is visited from a council representative, he vows to make Shirley's life a misery. Days later, Shirley's cat, Boots, goes missing, and she fears that Gavin may be responsible. After several weeks, the cat is found dead in a plastic bin bag on Shirley's doorstep. A distraught Shirley turns to her friends, the Ferreira family, for help, but Gavin claims that he found the cat dead in the road and returned it to Shirley as an act of kindness. Shirley is not convinced.

Gavin continues to make Shirley's life hell by putting her telephone number on a call-girl card and posting them around Walford. He later breaks into her flat and tips rubbish all over her floor. Ash Ferreira (Raji James) decides to step in and play him at his own game. He borrows his brother's speakers and plays dance music extremely loudly, which maddens Gavin and he reports them to the landlord. Shirley and Ash are ready for this, and upon the landlord's visit, they play classical music and pretended they are involved in a book club. This satisfies the landlord and leaves Gavin looking like a fool. He threatens both Shirley and Ash, and makes regular racist comments whenever any of the Ferreiras are around. A few days later, Ash overhears an altercation between Gavin and the road sweeper Gus Smith (Mohammed George). Gavin is unhappy about the uncleanliness of the Square, particularly as it could attract rats. Sensing Gavin's fear of rats, Ash and family convince Gus to trap a rat in the Square, and with the help of Tariq Larousi (Nabil Elouahabi), he breaks into Gavin's flat and sets the rat free. The plan works and Gavin is petrified. He promises to call a truce with Shirley if they remove the rat.

However, Gavin decides to perform one last malicious act as payback. He sabotages the Ferreiras clothing stock with paint. When the Ferreiras attempt to reclaim for the damages on their insurance, they are furious to learn that Adi (Ameet Chana) had forgotten to renew it. Gavin's last appearance is in October 2003.