Neighbours' soap war at Crossroads

Neighbours is Australia's favourite soap

ITV soap Crossroads is to go head-to-head with BBC One's Neighbours when it is re-launched next month.

The revamped soap returns to ITV almost 13 years after it was axed and will be given a lunchtime slot, when it starts on 6 March.

Kathy Staff returns to the soap after 13 years

Crossroads will be shown at daily at 1330 - 15 minutes before the start of Neighbours - with a repeat later in the afternoon at 1705.

Set in a fictitious motel, Crossroads has been revived to replace Home and Away, which has been poached by Channel 5.

Director of programmes at ITV David Liddiment said: "We want to give as many people as possible a taste of what Crossroads is all about."

The new version of the show - formerly renowned for its low-budget wobbly sets - sees original cast members Jane Rossington, Tony Adams and Kathy Staff returning.

Viewers of digital channel ITV2 will be able to see a weekend omnibus.

The first two episodes will also be repeated in a one-hour peak-time special on 6 March to try and build up a following for the soap.

The soap will be hard-pressed to match the Australian soap, which has an established audience of around three million viewers at lunchtime and more than 40% of the total viewing audience.