British police have arrested 81-year old Bill Roache over suspicions of rape that occurred in the 1960’s.
Roache is currently the longest serving actor on British soap Coronation Street, which itself is the world’s longest-running soap opera.
He was arrested at his home in northwest England over an allegation of raping an under-age girl between April and July 1967.
“An 81-year-old man from Wilmslow in Cheshire has this morning, Wednesday May 1, 2013, been arrested by Lancashire Constabulary on suspicion of rape,” a Lancashire Police spokesman said on Wednesday.
He said the man would be interviewed during the course of the day.
Broadcaster ITV has cut all scenes featuring Roache and will continue doing so throughout the court case.
Roache issued an apology in March after appearing to suggest that sex abuse victims were being punished for past sins, and calling for anonymity for those accused of child sex offences.
In another interview last year Roache claimed to have slept with 1000 women.
Roache has appeared in Coronation Street since the show’s first episode aired in December 1960. The show was classified as the World’s Longest Running Soap Opera by Guinness World Records in 2010 when former title holder, US series As The World Turns was cancelled.
Source: AdelaideNow
