Plotlines suggested by the cast may be used

Suggestion boxes were put up around the set a few weeks ago so that all EastEnders staff, including office workers, could contribute their ideas.

The scheme's intention is to make everyone involved in the making of the show feel included in its creative output.

"It is a chance for all staff to really feel part of the programme," an EastEnders spokeswoman told BBC News Online.

"We want everyone to feel they have ownership of the show," she added.

The spokeswoman denied it was a desperate attempt to boost their ratings, as reported in the Sun newspaper on Wednesday.

"It is simply a way of giving staff an opportunity to have their say," she said.

Popular Albert Square villain Dirty Den, played by Leslie Grantham, is making his return to EastEnders in September after a 14-year absence.

His appearance is expected to see ratings rise. The former landlord of the Queen Vic pub helped make the show a hit when it first began in 1985.

EastEnders ITV rival Coronation Street recently swept the board at the British Soap Awards, winning nine prizes including best soap.

The long-running ITV show's ratings were boosted by the sensational serial murder storyline involving the Platt family and Richard Hillman (Brian Capron).