New romance for "Street's" Baldwin

Coronation Street tycoon Mike Baldwin is to encounter his 25th romance in as many years... with Maxine's mum Doreen.

Underworld factory boss Mike reluctantly agrees to take Doreen to a posh dinner party, but as the evening progresses, he starts to warm to her. The romance starts the following day when Doreen calls round his flat to apologise for getting so drunk.

"Mike realises they've both been through painful love traumas and have lots in commo," a source told the News Of The World. "Mike realises he's long overdue a bit of serious female company and as the booze flows again they end up in bed together. Mike has been married four times on screen and he's still hurt by the way his marriage to last wife Linda broke up. He'd like something lasting to happen with Doreen. But she's footloose and lives for the moment!

"Time was when Mike changed his women faster than his Underworld girls can knock out knickers. But since Linda walked out on him last year he's hit a bit of a barren patch. Johnny Briggs is a terrific actor and doesn't look a bit like a 66-year-old. It's time his character got into the old routine again."

The scenes will be shown later this month.