Pat Butcher returning to Eastenders as a ghost for Barbara Windsor's final Peggy Mitchell scenes

The beloved character was killed off on New Year's Day in 2012

Pam St. Clement as Pat Butcher (BBC)

EastEnders writers are commemorating Barbara Windsor's final scenes as Peggy Mitchell by bringing back Pam St Clement's legendary character Pat Butcher.

The two endured their fair share of tumultuous moments during their time on the show - mainly due to respective love interest Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) - but ultimately remained friends right up until Pat died of cancer in an episode that aired on New Year's Day four years ago.

According to The Sun, St. Clement will appear as a hallucination experienced by Peggy who herself will succumb to the disease in scenes to play out later this year.

This isn't the first time the actor has returned to Albert Square having appeared alongside other ghosts of the soap's past for a Children In Need special in 2014.

Ross Kemp will also be returning, reprising his role of Grant - one-half of the infamous Mitchell brothers - to say goodbye to his on-screen mother.

It was recently announced that EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins would be departing the soap, paving the way for The Archers editor, Sean O'Connor, to take over the reins.

Peggy's exit is expected to air later this year. Treadwell-Collins described the departure as "one of the most heartbreaking, uplifting and epic exits" the BBC soap has ever experienced.

Whether ghost Pat will be wearing earrings or not remains to be seen.