AN actress from Pendle will tonight be seen walking down the famous Coronation Street cobbles in her dream role.

Colne’s Natalie Gumede will arrive in Weatherfield to play Kirsty Soames, who is destined to become mechanic Tyrone Dobbs’ new love interest.

Natalie, 27, a former member of Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company, will play a WPC.

She is eagerly awaiting her on-screen debut, after filming her first scenes back in July.

She said: “As a northern lass who’s grown up watching Corrie, I already feel at home on those famous cobbles.

"From the moment I read the script I knew I was going to love playing Kirsty and I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds.

“This is a dream role for me and I’m looking forward to creating a huge storm in Weatherfield.”

And the former Park High student won’t struggle for company on set, given the Granada soap’s penchant for hiring East Lancs talent.

On-screen brother and sister Fiz Stape and Chesney Brown (Jenni McAlpine and Sam Aston) hail from the Rossendale valley, as does Sean Tully, alias Anthony Cotton.

Cafe owner Hayley Cropper is portrayed by Accrington’s Julie Hesmondhalgh while the background of Norris Cole, aka Malcolm Hebden, is in Burnley and Ribble Valley.

William Roache, who used to live in Haslingden, has played Ken Barlow in the soap since it started in 1960 while Blackburn youngster Alex Bain plays Ken's grandson Simon.

Helen Flanagan, who has played Rosie Webster for over a decade, studied drama at Westholme School, Blackburn.

The East Lancashire quota was even higher when Burnley’s Julia Haworth played Claire Peacock and Wendi Peters, from Wilpshire, was cast as Cilla Battersby.

Ribble Valley's Lucien Laviscount, who is now a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, also appeared in the show in 2009.

Back in 1995 Natalie, who grew up in Chatham Street, Colne, with mum Imogen, received her first big break when she was selected to appear on a regional broadcast for Children in Need.

She was a later a regular in the BBC3 comedy serial Ideal, alongside comic Johnny Vegas, and also has credits in Emmerdale and Doctors to her name.

Burnley-born Natalie, who was also a member of the Chippendale School of Dance in Pendle, is a graduate of the famed Italia Conti drama academy.