Mandy and Beth Jordache murdered Trevor in Brookside

His killing and burial in the back garden beat Coronation Street serial killer Richard Hillman's death in the Radio Times poll of 4,000 readers.

Ethel Skinner's assisted death in EastEnders (2000) was deemed the most emotional soap swansong.

And readers predicted that Ian Beale would be the next Albert Square resident to make a permanent exit.

Ridiculous

Liverpool-based Brookside, which ended in 2003, also came fifth in the most emotional soap death vote, in a tie with Susannah Farnham's car crash which killed her and her two children.

The most ridiculous soap death was scooped by Coronation Street, when Anne Malone died after getting trapped in a supermarket freezer.

Ethel Skinner's death tugged soap fans' heartstrings the most

The 'death' of Den Watts in EastEnders which was followed up 15 years later with his miraculous return to Albert Square rated the third most ridiculous soap demise, followed by the 1993 plane crash in Emmerdale, which saw off a number of the cast.

That event also came fourth in the most dramatic soap deaths, followed by the premature demise of Maxine Peacock in Coronation Street, who was murdered by serial killer Richard Hillman.

Longest-serving residents of the street, Ken Barlow and Emily Bishop, are expected to be the next characters to die, with the relatively young Gail Platt and Sally Webster figuring highly on the list.