Canteen assistant
Portrayed by Sunetra Sarker
First appearance: Series one, episode one
There's one lady at Ackley Bridge that you don't want to mess with - canteen assistant Kaneez Paracha! Mother of pupils Nasreen, Razia and Saleem, Kaneez struggles when she learns that her eldest daughter is a lesbian, but soon learns that her family is everything to her after divorcing unfaithful husband Iqbal. With a new relationship on the cards with science teacher Rashid, the future certainly looks promising for Kaneez...