Ofcom clears Corrie arson storyline

Ofcom has cleared ITV soap Coronation Street following viewer complaints over an arson storyline.

In an episode which aired on February 19, fans saw menacing loan shark Rick Neelan (Greg Wood) set fire to a newspaper and push it through Tina McIntyre's (Michelle Keegan) letterbox. He did so as part of a harassment campaign he launched against the McIntyres and Platts over an outstanding debt.

Following the broadcast, 31 people contacted Ofcom to complain that the Weatherfield serial had incited and encouraged crime with its depiction of Rick's actions. Another viewer complained about the show's portrayal of dangerous behaviour.

However, the media watchdog this week ruled that the instalment was "not likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or lead to disorder".

Coronation Street previously faced viewer complaints over crime scenes in 2008 after police officers Mel Morton (Emma Edmondson) and Abi Sharpe (Rachael Elizabeth) were viciously attacked by a gang of girls outside a bar.