A BLACKBURN actress today spoke of her disappointment at leaving our TV screens - after her soap character walked out to become a chicken farmer!

Now Ursula Holden-Gill is hoping she gets invited back to do another stint on Emmerdale or secures a similar role in a different show.

The 30-year-old former St Wilfrid's High School pupil has also appeared on television screens recently in Teachers - the Channel 4 drama set in a Bristol school, which finished its fourth series in December.

But Ursula confirmed she had been told Teachers, in which she plays quirky secretary Carol, won't be returning for another series.

It has made a name for itself as being politically incorrect, with plotlines including Thai brides, staff-student relationships and a cast which includes a team of dwarf dinnerladies. Her character in Emmerdale, Alice, left Emmerdale village last night to pursue a new life as a chicken farmer in Norfolk, with one of the show's other characters, Sam Dingle.

Yorkshire Television, which makes the show and is part of Granada, confirmed there were no plans to bring Alice back in the near future.

Ursula moved to Bristol from Sunnyhurst, Darwen, with her partner Howard Marsden, a graphic designer, when Teachers first began.

She used to teach drama workshops at the Thwaites Theatre, Blackburn. She said: "If they give me the chance to go back to Emmerdale, then I would love to.

"A lot of my friends had given me real scare stories about working on soaps and about how demanding it was.

"But I really enjoyed the pace and even though I wasn't there that long, a lot of people there have become good friends.

"It's the kind of steady work that I think I want to do now, because I am settling down and if they will have my character back, I would love to."

Ursula, whose parents Marian and Brian live in Coldstream Place, Blackburn, said: "I am really disappointed about Teachers because it was also a great programme to work on.

"I can see why they have done it because it means the programme will go out on a high but it was the reason we moved down to Bristol.

"I'm not sure what I will be doing next, but I hope Emmerdale do come back to me."

A spokesman for Emmerdale said: "Alice appeared from December 5 until last night, and there are no plans to reintroduce the character at the moment."