I'll bring Peggy back to EastEnders, says Babs

Actress Barbara Windsor has said that her EastEnders character Peggy Mitchell will not be killed off - in order to allow her to return.

According to The Sun The 72-year-old - who announced last month she was leaving the soap next year - does not intend to give up the character for good.

Instead, she says she plans to take a couple of years off before possibly returning to Albert Square in 2012.

"Barbara has such a fondness for Peggy that she genuinely wants to play her again," a source told the paper. "She doesn't want the character killed off. Producers understand that."

The insider added that she could return to the soap full-time but would be more likely to make guest appearances in the future.

Windsor - who is quitting in order to spend more time with her husband Scott Mitchell - has admitted the role has been one of the highlights of her career.

"EastEnders has been wonderful to me," she said. "It changed my life. I'll be so sad to leave Peggy behind."