A mysterious teen, Nico, arrives in Hollyoaks village

Hollyoaks bosses have unveiled a mysterious new character, Nico, to be played by Persephone Swales-Dawson.

The scruffy young teen makes a big impression with her first appearance in the Channel 4 soap when she tries to steal Dodger Savage's lunch.

Dodger (Danny Mac) grabs hold of the 14-year-old and then gets even more of a shock when she faints.

Realising that Nico is starving, Dodger nurses her back to consciousness and gives her something to eat. But when he tries to help her more and invites her to come home with him, Nico gets spooked and runs away.

Hollyoaks viewers will see Nico's dramatic arrival in the village on Channel 4 on Friday, June 6.

– Press Association

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.