Johnston and Tomlinson reunite in Brookside special

Johnston and Tomlinson's characters, Sheila and Bobby Grant, were mainstays of the show

TV royalty Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson have been reunited on the set of Brookside for a long-awaited return of the soap.

Camera crews descended on the famous cul-de-sac on Wednesday as part of a one-off special episode to mark Hollyoaks' 30th anniversary.

The pair, who later worked together in BBC sitcom The Royle Family, will reprise their roles as Liverpudlian matriarch Sheila Grant, later Corkhill, and trade unionist Bobby Grant.

"It will be lovely to take part in Brookside again especially to work alongside Sue Johnston," Tomlinson said, speaking ahead of filming.

"I'm looking forward to being on the close again after all these years."

The Grant family launched Brookside, which began on the first night of Channel 4 in 1982.

Audiences quickly warmed to the married couple as they settled into their first-owned home with their three children.

Ricky Tomlinson was spotted filming scenes on the set of the Brookside

The Grant family first appeared on the screen in 1982

The pair were joined on set by Brookside favourites including Paul Usher as Barry Grant, John McArdle as Billy Corkhill, Philip Olivier as Timothy "Tinhead" O'Leary, Suzanne Collins as Nikki Shadwick and Michael Starke as Thomas "Sinbad" Sweeney.

Conceived by Sir Philip Redmond, who had already created school drama Grange Hill and went on to create Hollyoaks, Brookside drew in audiences of nine million viewers at its peak before it broadcast for a final time on 4 November 2003.

The show, set in Liverpool, was known for its hard-hitting storylines and took on issues surrounding issues including rape, bullying and incest.

Filming took place on Brookside Close on Wednesday

This will be the first time that Brookside Close has been on air since it ended.

The series famously concluded with Jimmy Corkhill, played by the late Dean Sullivan, daubing a letter "d" on to the sign, leaving it as "Brookside Closed" before driving out of the cul-de-sac.

The one-off episode is set to air next month.