Former Emmerdale actress Deena Payne has blasted producers for not giving her character Viv a legacy.

The 57-year-old, who starred in the rural soap for 18 years, admitted that she feels betrayed by writers for not allowing Viv to be buried in the village.

She told The Scotsman: "The thing that disappointed me most was that she wasn't given a grave in the graveyard - her body was just sent down South.

"That's what made me really sad, the fact that I'd put all that involvement into the history of Emmerdale and yet don't have a little placard."

Payne previously revealed her sadness with her alter ego's exit last year, which saw the shopkeeper die virtually off-screen in a fire.

Confessing that she misses playing Viv, the actress added: "As much as she was different to me, she exorcised a certain part of me."