Shabnam Masood actress quits 'Enders

EastEnders actress Zahra Ahmadi has quit the Walford-based soap after just over a year on screen, amid claims that she was frustrated by a lack of storylines for her character.

The 29-year-old, who plays Shabnam Masood in the BBC show, has taken the decision to leave in order to pursue other projects.

Speaking of her decision to leave, she said: "I've made the tough decision to leave as I'm still young and I want to try other roles. But I'm really happy the door has been left open for me to return as it has been a great experience."

Executive producer Diederick Santer added: "Zahra is a fine actress, even though she's leaving, the door is always open for her to return. The Masood family have been a great addition to Albert Square so there's plenty more to come from them in future."

A source this morning told DS: "Zahra's leaving slightly earlier than expected, but the rest of the Masoods are sticking around and they've got some big stuff coming up in the autumn."

Shabnam turned up in the Square with her screen mother Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia) in July last year, while her father Masood (Nitin Ganatra) and brother Tamwar (Himesh Patel) arrived three months later in the October.