Len Harker

The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2007, by order of first appearance. A new family were introduced in this year, with Zainab Masood, Masood Ahmed, Shabnam Masood and Tamwar Masood creating the Masood clan. Heather Trott was introduced, and the Mitchell family was extended, with Ronnie Mitchell and Roxy Mitchell as a fiery new double act. August saw the arrival of Tanya Branning's drug-addicted sister Rainie Cross. Scott Maslen joined the soap opera as Jack Branning in October, and his nephew Oscar Branning was born in December.

DI Kelly

Detective Inspector Kelly, played by Ian Burfield, is a police detective at Walford Police Station. In 2007, he investigates the death of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) and subsequently arrests Sonia Fowler ( Natalie Cassidy) for her murder following the funeral. He arrests May Wright ( Amanda Drew) for abducting Summer Swann, and also Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) on suspicion of murdering his fiancée Stella Crawford ( Sophie Thompson). He appears when he is investigating Jay Brown's stabbing. In August 2008 he investigates the murder of Jase Dyer ( Stephen Lord) and interrogates Billy Mitchell ( Perry Fenwick) as a key witness. In July 2010 he informs Liz Turner ( Kate Williams) that a body found in Albert Square is that of her son Owen (Lee Ross), and takes his ex-wife Denise Johnson ( Diane Parish) in for questioning. Denise is released without charge. Kelly later informs Denise's family that her car has been discovered abandoned by a canal, and then that the body of a woman was pulled from the canal along with Denise's mobile phone. Lucas identifies the body as Denise's, however, Kelly still believes somebody else was involved in Owen's murder. Kelly's actor Ian Burfield had previously played a police detective in 1997, DI Hamilton, and went on to play DCI Peter Arthurs in 2018.

Derek Evans

Derek Evans is a social worker, played by Simon Lowe. In March 2007, he visits Bert Atkinson ( Dave Hill) and his grandson Jay Brown ( Jamie Borthwick), when Bert is trying to get a residency order for Jay to live with him permanently. Jay charms Derek, offering him a cup of tea and talking to him politely, impressing him. In January 2008, Derek visits Tanya Branning ( Jo Joyner) and her sister Rainie Cross ( Tanya Franks). In October that year, he attempts to sort out Jay's foster care problems when Billy Mitchell ( Perry Fenwick) offers to care for him, as Jay does not want Dawn Swann ( Kara Tointon) to be his foster mother. Derek inspects the flat above The Queen Victoria public house, and allows Jay to stay with Billy, despite Roxy Mitchell's ( Rita Simons) messiness. In July 2009, he visits Denise Wicks ( Diane Parish) after Jordan Johnson's ( Michael-Joel David Stuart) mother Trina ( Sharon Duncan Brewster) reports her to the police, claiming that Denise has been abusing Jordan. In June 2010, he visits Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) to assess his family situation involving his children Louise (Brittany Papple) and Ben (Charlie Jones), who has assaulted Jordan. The following month he visits Phil and his mother Peggy Mitchell ( Barbara Windsor) to say that Louise's mother Lisa Fowler ( Lucy Benjamin) has made an application to see her daughter. Derek explains that the final decision is not up to Phil and Peggy says that Derek is a typical social worker – an interfering, home-wrecking busybody. Derek responds sarcastically and leaves. When Peggy returns Louise to Lisa, they contact Derek again, and when he arrives, Phil steals his bag to get Lisa's address.

In April 2015, Derek visits Kat ( Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon ( Shane Richie) after Kat attempts suicide. Kat refuses to tell Derek why she did it but assures him that it will not happen again. Alfie then tells Derek that he felt he had let Kat down but he would help her get better. Derek is satisfied with this and leaves. In July, he visits Shirley Carter ( Linda Henry) and Buster Briggs ( Karl Howman) to discuss them gaining custody of their granddaughter, Jade Green (Amaya Edward). Buster informs Derek of his criminal record and Derek tells Shirley that single people can adopt children as well, prompting Shirley to nearly split up with Buster. In May 2016, Derek visits Billy and his partner Honey Mitchell ( Emma Barton) after Jay returns to live with them after being convicted of a child sex offence to assess Jay being around their children, Janet (Grace) and Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips). Billy and Honey insist Jay is innocent but Derek informs them that Jay's contact with their children must be supervised. Derek returns in August after Honey reports Jay to the police for possession of drugs which he had been dealing, to reassess their living arrangements. Derek tells Honey that he is concerned about her children's welfare due to the presence of the drugs and implies that Jay might be a danger to Janet and William, causing Jay to decide to move out of the flat. After Jay's home assessment discovers he is living with an underage Louise (now played by Tilly Keeper) at Phil's house, Derek visits Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) and despite Sharon insisting that she and Phil trust Jay, Derek tells her if Jay does not move out, Louise may have to be taken into care as her needs come first.

Marco Bianco

Marco Bianco, played by Bart Ruspoli, is the interior designer who redesigns the flat above The Queen Victoria pub for Peggy Mitchell ( Barbara Windsor). He works on the design to renovate the pub itself, after Pat Evans (Pam St. Clement) found a flea on the bar, though the regulars think the pub looks the same, and Peggy berates him for it.

Peggy then gets him to do some work for Stella Crawford ( Sophie Thompson) and Phil Mitchell's (Steve McFadden) wedding reception. At one stage Marco breaks down crying to Peggy, after his boyfriend left him. Marco also helps Patrick Trueman ( Rudolph Walker) mend a fan of his wife Yolande's ( Angela Wynter) that Patrick broke by tripping up.

Anya Covalenco

Anya Covalenco ( Ukrainian: Аня Коваленко), played by Olga Fedori, is a Ukrainian illegal immigrant, a pole dancer who abandons her month-old baby, Tomas, in a church in Kent for vicar Mary Lavender (Regina Freedman) to look after. Dot Branning ( June Brown) later finds the baby, and knowing Reverend Lavender is on holiday, takes Tomas back to Walford, leaving a note in the church with her address on it.

Dot's husband Jim ( John Bardon) goes to a pole dancing club, finding a flyer for it with Tomas, to track Anya down, but is told she no longer works there by a hostess he speaks to. As Jim travels back to Walford, Anya arrives at Dot and Jim's house. After shouting at Dot for interfering, Dot offers her a place to stay, and she accepts. Jim, however, does not agree with this, and reports Anya to the immigration authorities. Immigration officers arrive and Jim tells Dot what he has done. Dot takes Anya and Tomas out of the house and hides them in the back of her car. Dot returns to the house and tells immigration that there is nobody there and it must have been a hoax. Dot and Jim then take Anya and Tomas to a church, believing it to be a sanctuary where they will be safe. The immigration officers follow them to the church, where Dot says Anya and Tomas will be safe in a room at the back of the church and could live there. Dot confronts the officers, Paul Jenkins (Simon Quarterman) and Warren Rice (Ewan Bailey) telling them it is a sanctuary and they cannot go through. Rice tells Dot she is wrong about this. Anya eventually decides to give herself up, but tells Jim to take care of Tomas as she now trusts them.

She later writes to Dot in June 2007, telling her to care for her son – not knowing that Tomas is now up for adoption, when Dot realises that she cannot bring up baby Tomas.

Tomas Covalenco

Tomas Covalenco (Ukrainian: Томас Коваленко) is a baby that is abandoned on 9 April 2007 by his mother, Anya ( Olga Fedori) in a church in Kent, and found by Dot Branning ( June Brown). Dot leaves her address on a notice board in the church, and Anya arrives in Walford to collect Tomas on 10 April. She is later arrested by immigration officials Warren Rice (Ewan Bailey) and Paul Jenkins (Simon Quarterman) for being an illegal immigrant, but she doesn't tell them she has a baby, leaving him with Dot and her husband Jim ( John Bardon). Jim later tells his family that Tomas is the product of an affair between Dot's son Nick Cotton ( John Altman) and a prison nurse with no maternal instincts. He is then known as George Merton, until Dot is persuaded by Reverend Stevens (Michael Keating) and her oldest friend, Harold Legg ( Leonard Fenton) to tell Social Services that she has him. He is collected on 8 June by social worker Natasha Powell (Natasha Gordon).

Hazel Hobbs

Hazel Hobbs, played by Kika Mirylees, is the mother of Garry Hobbs ( Ricky Groves). She first appears in April 2007, when Garry attends her wedding. Hazel then decides she doesn't want to marry her fiancé, Gerald ( Brian Cowan), because he has too much nasal hair, describing it as "like tusks". She and Garry rush back to Gerald's house to collect her belongings, but Gerald arrives at the house before they leave, and hits Garry, thinking he is Hazel's toyboy. Hazel then stays with Garry in Walford, and falls for his best friend Minty Peterson ( Cliff Parisi). However this leads to Garry punching Minty and Hazel leaves Walford.

In August 2007, it is revealed that Hazel and Minty have started a relationship behind Garry's back. They take a romantic weekend in Brighton but do not know that Garry is also there with Dawn Swann ( Kara Tointon). Garry finds out they are seeing each other and is outraged. Back in Walford, Minty finds the engagement ring that Garry had used to propose to Dawn (she said no) and bends down to pick it up off the floor. He is on one knee, holding the ring, when Hazel comes in the room, and she assumes that Minty is planning to propose to her and immediately says "Yes, I do". Hazel then starts planning the wedding, and she gets a job as a receptionist at Booty.

Hazel befriends Heather Trott ( Cheryl Fergison), who is infatuated with her son Garry. Hazel then asks an elated Heather to be her bridesmaid at her upcoming wedding to Minty, to which she accepts. After fainting at work, Hazel starts to believe she is pregnant. Minty buys lots of things for the baby but Hazel tearfully reveals on in February 2008 that it is the menopause, and she can never have a baby. Hazel then leaves the square, believing that she would be restricting Minty's future desires to have a family if she stayed with him. However Hazel returns on 22 April and proposes to Minty on his wedding morning to Heather. Hazel tells him that they'd get married and set for a life on the cruise ships but he says no and goes after Heather. Hazel then watches as the wedding goes ahead without her, and then says goodbye to Garry and leaves. This is her last appearance, but it is mentioned in February 2009 that Hazel is on a cruise ship heading for Monaco.

Olive Woodhouse

Olive Woodhouse, played by Sylvia Syms, is a friend of Peggy Mitchell's ( Barbara Windsor) whom she has known since childhood. She is a dress fitter and first appears fitting Stella Crawford's ( Sophie Thompson) wedding dress in April 2007, and criticises her taste, making her angry.

She returns on 5 March 2009 to fit Peggy's wedding dress and she takes an instant dislike to Peggy's niece and future stepdaughter Roxy ( Rita Simons). The wedding dress she creates for Peggy is slightly provocative and Peggy's fiancé Archie ( Larry Lamb) sees the plans and purposely walks in, seeing Peggy in the dress, making her want to change it in fear of bad luck. She then notices Janine Butcher ( Charlie Brooks) following Archie and grows suspicious, thinking they are having an affair. She asks Archie, who then tells her that now they are paying for another dress, he wants to make some changes making the new dress less revealing.

She returns again in 2010, when Peggy, Roxy, Roxy's sister Ronnie ( Samantha Womack) and Ronnie and Roxy's mother Glenda ( Glynis Barber) arrive at her bridal shop to find a dress for Ronnie's wedding to Jack Branning ( Scott Maslen). Olive feels insulted when Roxy insults the dresses. When Ronnie finds a dress she likes, Olive returns with them to The Queen Victoria pub to make adjustments. However, whilst Olive is making the adjustments, Ronnie tears the dress off and runs out of the Vic when the conversation turns to her father.

Verity Wright

Verity Wright, played by Amanda Ryan, is the sister of May Wright ( Amanda Drew). She visits May with her two children on 1 May 2007, when she finds the nursery in May's flat meant for Dawn Swann's ( Kara Tointon) baby, presuming May is pregnant. She later visits May on her birthday, and is shocked to find out that May's husband Rob ( Stuart Laing) has filed for divorce. She returns once more on 28 May to visit May and gives her a present for the baby she thinks she is having.

Manju Patel

Manju Patel is played by Leena Dhingra. Originally a guest character, Mrs Patel's primary purpose was as a plot device in the exit of nurse Naomi Julien, after the actress Petra Letang left the show. However, following her two appearances on 4 May and 21 May 2007, she became popular with fans, to the point where she has been called a "cult icon" by ''Digital Spy'' soaps editor Kris Green.EXCLUSIVE: Mrs Manju Patel – an 'EastEnders' legend?
, ''Digital Spy''. Retrieved 16 August 2007 It was announced on 16 August 2007 that she would be return to the show later in 2007.

Mrs Patel is a patient of Walford's general practitioner, May Wright ( Amanda Drew). May writes out a double prescription for her, and takes one of the bottles of dihydrocodeine pills for her own personal use. She later tells nurse Naomi Julien ( Petra Letang) that it is a mistake, after Mrs Patel points this out.

Mrs Patel is later mentioned on 9 August 2007 during a telephone conversation between Dot Branning ( June Brown) and Charlie Slater ( Derek Martin). On 9 November it is revealed that Mrs Patel is Billy Mitchell's ( Perry Fenwick) new landlady. She gives him one month's notice to vacate the flat along with his wife Honey ( Emma Barton) and baby Janet because she wants a professional couple with no children to live there. Eventually, Mrs Patel decides to evict the couple from the flat. However, Billy changes the locks so Mrs Patel cannot enter. When Billy is out buying nappies, Mrs Patel gets help from her nephews to get into the flat and remove Honey, the children and all their belongings. She offers Billy money as a good will gesture but Billy refuses to accept it.

Though she does not appear again, Manju is mentioned on 13 May 2008 by Shabnam Masood ( Zahra Ahmadi) who tells her mother Zainab ( Nina Wadia) that she is going to see if Mrs Patel has any new clothes in her Sari shop. On 24 July Mrs Patel's shop is mentioned by Jane Beale ( Laurie Brett) when she is looking to buy some fabric for an Indian lunch that she and Husband Ian ( Adam Woodyatt) are holding at the café. They buy the material from Mrs Patel after seeing it although Mrs Patel isn't seen. Mrs Patel is then mentioned on 24 March 2009 when Syd Chambers ( Nina Toussaint-White) announces she is renting 13a Turpin Road, the flat above the bookies from her. In April 2010, she rents the flat to Syed (Marc Elliott) and Amira Masood ( Preeya Kalidas). In 2012 she is mentioned by Denise Fox ( Diane Parish) and Zainab at Heather Trott's ( Cheryl Fergison) funeral service.

Erek

Erek, played by Goran Kostić, was a Polish builder who first appears on 7 May 2007. Ian Beale ( Adam Woodyatt) is annoyed by him and the other builders, and when a feud breaks out between Ian and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Erek helps Phil to humiliate Ian. He later starts a relationship with Shirley Carter ( Linda Henry) but it ends when Shirley's son Deano ( Matt Di Angelo) speaks badly about her, Erek punches him and Shirley then punches Erek.

Warren Stamp

Warren Stamp, played by Will Mellor, appears in three episodes first broadcast in May.

Warren is a salesman who asks Preeti Choraria (Babita Pohoomull) out on a date after trying to sell her supplies at Booty salon. He assaults Preeti on the date leaving distinct bruises on her arm. A day later, he goes on a date with Carly Wicks ( Kellie Shirley) where he puts drugs in her drink in an attempt to rape her. She is rescued by Sean Slater ( Robert Kazinsky), and Warren runs away.

Summer Swann

Summer Swann is the daughter of Dawn Swann ( Kara Tointon) and Rob Minter ( Stuart Laing). She has been played by on-screen uncle Joe Swash's son, Harry Swash, Abbie Hackworth as well as by Daisy Fitter, and by twins Isabella and Rebecca Hegarty. Along with actors Ricky Groves and Kara Tointon, the character made her final appearance on 27 August 2009.

Summer is born in June 2007 after Dawn goes into premature labour on the tube. Dawn gets to hospital and safely delivers Summer with her friend Carly Wicks ( Kellie Shirley) by her side. Dawn initially finds it hard to bond with Summer as she still wants to go out partying. However, during a trip to Brighton in August 2007 with Summer and Garry Hobbs ( Ricky Groves), Dawn takes responsibility for Summer and vows to become a proper mother to her. In January 2008, Dawn starts dating Jase Dyer ( Stephen Lord), and Summer begins modelling for catalogues after Dawn takes her to an audition. Dawn also enters her for the "Beautiful Baby" competition at The Queen Victoria pub on her first birthday in June 2008. Dawn puts fake tan on Summer for the competition, which she later has an allergic reaction to, but she is named runner-up at the competition any way.

On Summer's birthday, May Wright ( Amanda Drew) returns to Walford, intending to kidnap Summer. May was married to Summer's birth father Rob Minter but they were taking a break and he had a brief relationship with Dawn and she got pregnant. May, who is unable to have children, never quite got over it especially as during her pregnancy, Dawn agreed that May could adopt Summer. However, Dawn changed her mind and refused to let May take Summer. Upon seeing Summer in fake tan, May brands Dawn a terrible mother to Summer before attacking her and her brother Mickey Miller ( Joe Swash) and then trying to leave with Summer, whom she calls Sophie. However, Mickey snatches Summer back and locks May out of the bedroom, leaving May trying to break down the door, screaming for Summer. Devastated, May goes down to the kitchen and blows the house up by lighting a cigarette in the kitchen while the gas cooker was on. Mickey then tries to throw Summer out the window but he drops her when he passes out and Jase catches her. Summer was declared healthy once checked by doctors. In July 2008, it is revealed that Jase has adopted Summer, (Dawn did not put Rob's name on Summer's birth certificate as she registered the birth alone and was not married to Rob).

More tragedy strikes for Dawn and Jase when Jase is murdered in August 2008 by members of a gang he used to be in. Being in Walford after Jase's death proves too much for Dawn and in September 2008, she and Summer join her family in the Cotswolds. Dawn returns to Walford in October 2008 for Jase's funeral, but is adamant that she is returning to the Cotswolds but is eventually persuaded by Garry to stay in Walford and two weeks later, she and Summer move in with Garry, Minty Peterson ( Cliff Parisi) and Callum Monks (Elliott Jordan). Dawn and Garry start dating but Dawn has an affair with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). However, Garry finds out but decides to give Dawn another chance, and they leave Walford together with Summer, sailing on a boat, in August 2009.

Kenny Morris

Sergeant Kenny Morris, played by Ryan Philpott, is a police officer who is originally introduced as a police constable, but later becomes a sergeant. He is first seen as an associate of Ian Beale ( Adam Woodyatt), who Ian gives free food to in his café, in return for an occasional police presence. He is later called to Shirley Carter's ( Linda Henry) flat when a party is getting out of hand. He breaks up a fight and is almost hit by Shirley, however, he ends up staying the night and having sex with her.

He later appears in September 2007, after Patrick Trueman ( Rudolph Walker) is attacked by Craig Dixon ( Rory Jennings), and Chelsea Fox ( Tiana Benjamin) and Deano Wicks ( Matt Di Angelo) try to frame Sean Slater ( Robert Kazinsky) for the crime. In November 2007, Kevin Wicks ( Phil Daniels) unknowingly sells Morris a stolen car. When Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins) tells Kevin that the car is stolen and that Morris is a police officer, they steal the car from Morris and set it on fire. In October 2008, Morris visits Stacey Slater's ( Lacey Turner) stall after Ronnie Mitchell ( Samantha Womack) calls the market inspector about her selling stolen clothes. He later appears when Dawn Swann ( Kara Tointon) accuses Jay Brown ( Jamie Borthwick) of trying to set fire to her house. He appears again when Max Branning ( Jake Wood) calls the police following a faked burglary at his home. On 12 January 2009, Morris appears when he and a colleague find Danielle Jones ( Lauren Crace) sleeping rough on Albert Square.

On 15 January 2009 he appears when the police receive complaints of a protest outside Gilly's Massage Parlour. On 7 January 2011 he visits Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) after his son Ben (Joshua Pascoe) has been accused of pushing Glenda Mitchell ( Glynis Barber) down her stairs. Morris later visits Glenda to take a statement from her. He visits Phil again in October 2011, after his car is vandalised with graffiti. Phil demands a crime reference number from Morris who mocks Phil along with his colleague.

In July 2015, he appears at the police station when Ben (now Harry Reid) is arrested for the murder of Lucy Beale ( Hetti Bywater). He tells DCI Jill Marsden ( Sophie Stanton) that witness Arsim Kelmendi (Tomasz Aleksander) has arrived at the station and escorts Ben back to his cell. He is later on desk duty when Ritchie Scott (Sian Webber) arrives and asks for Ben's whereabouts. Morris is on the phone and tells her to wait but she ignores him and goes into the station. Morris is forced to apologise to Marsden for not stopping her and she tells him to escort Ritchie back to the front desk. He is also present when Phil arrives at the police station and Morris asks him to wait. Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington) later comes to the police station and asks to see DI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman) but Morris is taking another phone call and tells him to wait too. Morris later informs Marsden that Phil has returned to the station and wants to see her.

In November 2015, Morris visits Denise Fox ( Diane Parish) and tells her that a person the police have in custody has given her address as theirs. She confirms to Morris all of the people who live in her house. Denise then tries to find out from Morris who the arrested person is, and although he is unable to tell her, she realises it is her former stepson Jordan Johnson (Joivan Wade).

Heather Trott

Heather Trott, played by Cheryl Fergison, is first introduced as a guest character, but later becomes a regular. The sidekick of character Shirley Carter ( Linda Henry), most of Heather's storylines involve comedy, and Fergison won the 'Funniest Performance' award at the 2008 ''Inside Soap'' Awards. Heather's character is known for her headbands, love of cheese and karaoke, and being a fan of singer George Michael. In 2009, Heather is involved in a whodunnit-style storyline when she becomes pregnant by an unknown man. Several characters are possibilities, and the father, teenager Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins) is revealed after the baby, George Trott, is born.

Charity Kase

Karl "Charity Kase", played by Morgan Crowley, is an Irish drag act employed by Peggy Mitchell ( Barbara Windsor) for a night in The Queen Victoria public house. He sings "Big Spender" to Billy Mitchell ( Perry Fenwick) and Bradley Branning ( Charlie Clements), makes Bradley go up on stage and repeat his proposal to Stacey Slater ( Lacey Turner) in front of the audience, and sings a duet with barmaid Shirley Carter ( Linda Henry). After being told by Sean Slater ( Robert Kazinsky), he dresses up Deano Wicks ( Matt Di Angelo) and makes a fool of him.

He later appears when Shirley is in Brighton with her best friend Heather Trott ( Cheryl Fergison) and they run into him. He offers them a lift back to Walford because their car has been clamped.

In 2009, Kim Fox ( Tameka Empson) books him for her sister Denise Wicks' ( Diane Parish) wedding to Lucas Johnson ( Don Gilet).

Zainab Masood

Zainab Masood, played by Nina Wadia, is first seen as the owner of Walford Post Office, and employer of Denise Wicks ( Diane Parish). Zainab is the mother of Shabnam ( Zahra Ahmadi), Tamwar ( Himesh Patel) and Syed Masood (Marc Elliott), and is the wife of Masood Ahmed ( Nitin Ganatra). Zainab and Masood stay strong through various family difficulties, and Zainab gives birth to another son, Kamil

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