Actress Zahra Ahmadi, also known as Shabnam Masood on Eastenders, has reportedly quit her role in the popular BBC soap.

The 29-year-old actress said she wanted to leave in order to pursue other projects. There are reports that she was frustrated by a lack of storylines for her character.

In a statement she said: “I’ve made the tough decision to leave as I’m still young and I want to try other roles. But I’m really happy the door has been left open for me to return as it has been a great experience.”

Eastenders executive producer Diederick Santer said: “Zahra is a fine actress, even though she’s leaving, the door is always open for her to return. The Masood family have been a great addition to Albert Square so there’s plenty more to come from them in future.”

A source told the magazine Digital Spy yesterday: “Zahra’s leaving slightly earlier than expected, but the rest of the Masoods are sticking around and they’ve got some big stuff coming up in the autumn.”

The Masoods were introduced to Albert Square last year, with Goodness Gracious Me actress Nina Wadia most prominently playing Shabnam’s mother Zainab.