AN EASTENDERS actress has opened a new vintage emporium with a twist in Colchester town centre.

Carli Norris, who plays Kat Slater’s sister, Belinda Peacock, in the BBC soap, has combined her love for retro with her talent for baking at Chocodolly in Sir Isaac’s Walk.

The quirky boutique is packed with vintage dresses, coats, shoes and accessories along with Carli’s ‘chocodollies’ - handmade, hand-painted cakes with chocolate dollies on top.

The first floor of the shop, which was formerly retro store Revolver, has been transformed into a party parlour where Carli will host cake decorating parties and classes.

The emporium launches today with complimentary cupcakes and £10 workshop vouchers.

Carli’s partner, Dream 100 presenter, Dom Atkins, will also be on hand to welcome the store’s first customers.

She said: “The shop is everything I love - it will bring a taste of the Fifties with all the clothes and music.

“It’s a proper girly dream shop. It will offer the whole party package - you can get a beautiful dress, vintage wedding tiaras and shoes and then you can invite all your girlfriends to the rooms upstairs to get dressed up.

“You can get kitted out for a wedding in one shop for under £1,000 and pick some really quirky things.”

As well as occasion-wear and 1940s-style coats for winter, Chocodolly will also sell retro children’s dresses.

Carli’s workshops will show people how to create anything from tiny cupcake dolls to huge carousel unicorns.

Carli set up Chocodolly in 2013 and started teaching cupcake classes.

The busy mum previously ran Kitty’s Cottage vintage shop from her home, in Thorpe High Street, for eight months before she moved to Colchester.

And she is no stranger to the vintage scene here having held stalls at the Secret Vintage Fair.

She said: “I’ve always loved Sir Isaac’s Walk - it will be great to be near to Patisserie Valerie and Frippery, which is one of my favourite shops.

“Colchester is a beautiful little town, steeped in history and it does have a massive vintage theme – I just wish there was slightly better parking and not so many one-way systems.

“I hope having a special shop like mine will be a reason for people to visit.”

Carli is currently starring in Eastenders and is also well-known for her roles as Fran in Holby City and Martha in Hollyoaks.

She said: “I forget I’m in Eastenders. Me and Dom can be walking to the park and kids will be going, ‘Belinda! Belinda!’

“It’s a blessing and a curse.”

Chocodolly is at 35a Sir Isaac’s Walk.