EastEnders favourites Lofty and Mary are making a comeback 30 years on

18 December 2018, 08:58 | Updated: 21 January 2019, 13:19

Three decades after their last appearance, two EastEnders icons are returning to Albert Square.

Lofty Holloway and Mary 'The Punk' Smith will return to Walford next year to attend a funeral of another iconic character, Dr Legg.

Played by Tom Watt and Linda Davidson, the characters will join Dot Branning (June Brown) at the service, following a brief return of Leonard Fenton as Dr Harold Legg.

Davidson said she was "so thrilled and very proud" to be back, while Watt said it would be "lovely to set foot back in Albert Square all these years later."

Their return follows Legg's recent admission to his friend Dot that he had terminal pancreatic cancer and had turned down life-prolonging treatment.

"Doctor Legg is an iconic character so it feels fitting that Lofty should return to say goodbye," said Watt.

Lofty was one of the soap's original characters, and left the soap in 1988. Mary joined in its fifth episode, and also departed in 1988.