Leslie Grantham, best known for playing the iconic EastEnders villain Dirty Den Watts, has reportedly returned as a ghost to haunt his former prison.

The actor - one of the soap's original cast members - died at the age of 71 in June 2018 following a battle with lung cancer.

Prior to his stints in Albert Square, Grantham spent time behind bars at HMP Kingston in Portsmouth, having been convicted in 1967 of the murder of a taxi driver in Germany.

Recently there have been reports of mysterious noises at the prison, leaving paranormal investigator Karl Hassall convinced that the ghost of Grantham is stalking the corridors.

"It is definitely spooked," he told The Sun. "We heard what sounded like Dirty Den's voice saying 'release them' and 'search them'.

"I asked 'is there anyone here with us now?' and got a reply of 'yeah'.

"And at one point we heard shouting and laughing down the corridor. It was terrifying.

"Leslie Grantham may have left this world but his spirit is still haunting this prison."

Grantham's first stint on EastEnders ended in 1989 with Den seemingly being shot dead, but the character made a dramatic comeback in 2003 before being killed off for good less than 18 months later.