Former Bond girl Honor Blackman is joining the Coronation Street cast as a love interest for resident meddler Norris Cole.

The actress, 77 - Pussy Galore in 1964's Goldfinger - will play a character called Rula Romanoff, a flirty pensioner. Norris becomes smitten with Rula immediately, but her arrival is a shock for his Kabin boss Rita, who recognises Rula as an old foe from her days as a nightclub singer.

"Rula was Rita’s pal but they became enemies," a source told The Sun today. "Rula was a bit of a man-eater and she proves she has still got it when she flirts with Norris. He is completely taken with her when she walks in the Kabin.

"He immediately becomes her little lapdog — she does nothing to discourage him. It’s a hilarious storyline with an unexpected twist."

Blackman is also known for her roles in cult hit The Avengers and 90s comedy The Upper Hand.