A FAMILIAR East Lancashire face returns to Coronation Street this week.

Malcolm Hebden, last seen in the soap in April 1997, is making his way back to Weatherfield as sales rep Norris Cole.

His former on-screen sparring partners, Mavis and Derek Wilton, might have gone - but Granada is promising there will still be plenty of good storylines for Norris this time round.

Tonight viewers will see Norris call into Rita's Kabin - only to be sent on his way by Rita's new assistant, Deirdre Rachid's mum Blanche Hunt.

A Granada spokeswoman said: "Blanche sends him packing and tells Rita that she's got rid of this nasty little rep.

"Rita realises who he is and gives him a call. They go to the Rovers and he explains that he has fallen on hard times and has split from his wife, Angela, and is back to being a rep."

Malcolm, who was brought up in Burnley, is delighted to be back on the Street.

He said: "It was a huge surprise to be asked back. It has been an early Christmas present.

"It is like coming back to my family, even though there are lots of new people in the cast. It is a new challenge."

The Granada spokeswoman said Norris would be back for some time and had some good storylines coming up.

She added: "Everybody is really pleased that Malcolm is back with us because we think he is a very talented actor.

"There have been some memorable moments over the years when his character used to appear with Mavis and Derek - or Dirk as he always called him - which everyone still remembers fondly."

In between stints on Coronation Street, Malcolm has worked as a stage actor and director, and appeared in a wide range of television programmes and radio plays.

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