11/08/2006

Coronation Street star arrested on drugs charge

Coronation Street actor Craig Charles has been arrested on possession of a class A drug, police have confirmed.

The 42-year-old star, who plays taxi driver Lloyd Mullaney in the soap, was suspended from the show in June, following the publication of photographs, which appeared to show him smoking crack cocaine, in the 'Daily Mirror'.

The photographs were allegedly taken as Charles travelled in a taxi from London to Manchester.

Charles has also been suspended from his job as a DJ on BBC Radio 6, where he presented a funk music show, over the allegations.

A spokesperson for Scotland Yard confirmed that Charles was arrested on Thursday morning and was later released on bail until a fate in September, pending further inquiries.

Craig shot to fame in BBC 2's cult sci-fi sitcom 'Red Dwarf', which began in 1988. Since then, he has presented the long-running show game show 'Robot Wars'. He joined the cast of Coronation Street in 2005.

(KMcA)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

22 September 2006
'Coronation Street' actor receives drug caution
'Coronation Street' actor Craig Charles has received a caution for possession of a Class A drug. The 42-year-old Liverpool-born actor was suspended from the soap in June after the 'Daily Mirror' published photographs of him apparently smoking crack cocaine in the back of a car.
20 June 2006
Soap star suspended over drug allegations
'Coronation Street' actor Craig Charles has been suspended from the soap opera, following newspaper allegations of drug taking. The 41-year-old father-of-three was shown allegedly smoking crack cocaine during a car journey between London and and Manchester, in photos published in the the 'Daily Mirror' newspaper.
26 April 2004
Chat show veteran Parkinson moves to ITV
ITV has signed up BBC chat show veteran Michael Parkinson on a two-year deal, it has emerged today. Mr Parkinson, who has hosted his eponymously-titled programme for 18 years, said that he decided to move to commercial broadcaster ITV after his Saturday night primetime slot was threatened by the return of Match of the Day.
28 November 2008
Stephanie Beacham To Join 'Coronation Street'
Stephanie Beacham is set to join the cast of ITV soap 'Coronation Street', as a potential love interest for the Street's Ken Barlow (William Roache), it has been revealed. The 61-year-old is due to appear in the show in January and will be in the show for around three to four months.
04 April 2007
Tina O'Brien to quit 'Coronation Street'
'Coronation Street' actress Tina O'Brien has announced that she is to leave the ITV soap after seven years. The 23-year-old actress, who plays teenage mum Sarah Louise Platt on the show, has had an eventful time on the Street, becoming a mum at 13, being held hostage by her murdering step-father and being abandoned at the altar.