NICK, NICK; Kid Cotton arrives in EastEnders and he's just as bad as his dad.

HE looks just like a chip off the old block - and spells double trouble for the residents of Albert Square.

Yes, the new teenage tearaway in EastEnders is Ashley Cotton - son of Nasty Nick.

And from his very first moment in the soap, Ashley - played by unknown 15-year-old Frankie Fitzgerald - shows that anything his dad can do, he can do better.

After stealing a couple of pineapples from Mark's fruit and veg stall in next Tuesday's episode, he hands them over to long-suffering Dot with the words: "'Ello Grandma."

As the Sunday People exclusively revealed, John Altman - who plays Nick - will return to the Square in the autumn after battling a booze addiction which destroyed his marriage.

But it is handsome newcomer Frankie who looks set to steal the show - as well as a few young Walford hearts. The teenage actor said yesterday: "I am thrilled and honoured to be playing Nick Cotton's son and can't wait to work with John. People keep asking me what the storylines are but I am as eager as everyone to know.

"Nick and Ashley will make a menacing team. Albert Square won't know what has hit it."

Frankie was signed up after soap bosses spotted his remarkable similarity to Altman.

An EastEnders insider said: "They could easily be father and son. They've got the same brooding dark-haired looks."

Altman, 45, said yesterday he was looking forward to working with Frankie and returning to EastEnders.

He said: "I'm delighted Nick is making a return to the Square and I promise to make him as mean as ever."

People HOTlinks

smarshall@people.co.uk

Information on EastEnders:

www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders

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Author:	Marshall, Sharon
Publication:	The People (London, England)
Date:	Jul 23, 2000
Words:	277
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