EastEnders character Ash Panesar is to return to the BBC soap.

She will be played by actress Sakira Vel, having last appeared in the soap three years ago, when she was played by Gurlaine Kaur Garcha.

Vel said: “When I got the call offering me the role, I don’t think I could truly believe it until I finally made it onto the Square.

“EastEnders is an absolute television icon, and the show was essentially the backdrop to my childhood.

“Taking on the role of Ash is a real honour and I cannot wait for the audience to see what we have in store as she dives straight into the Panesar family chaos.”

Ash was last seen in Walford when she left for a job in Canada, and has had limited contact with her family since, so her return is expected to come as a shock to the Panesars.

“With unresolved tensions still simmering between Ash and her family, her unexpected return is set to create new challenges for the Panesar family.”

Ash is the daughter of Balvinder Sopal’s character Suki Kaur Panesar and Nish Panesar, who was played by Navin Chowdhry.

During her first run in the soap, Ash faced tension from her family over her sexual orientation and was a victim of racism from Aaron Monroe (Charlie Wernham).