Corrie actor quits after five months

One of Coronation Street's newest characters has sensationally quit the soap after only five months on screen.

Sean Gallagher, who plays Paul Connor on the Street, is understood to have taken the decision to leave after a heart-to-heart with executive producer Steve Frost.

The 40-year-old actor's character will be killed off as co-owner of knicker factory Underworld this summer in a dramatic storyline that will place his family at the forefront of the Weatherfield soap.

Speaking to the News of The World, Gallagher revealed: "Working on Corrie was everything I hoped for and more. But I like variety and I'm looking forward to taking on some new roles."

Frost confirmed: "Through discussions with Sean it as been agreed that he will be leaving the show at the end of his current contract.

"We are working on a very dramatic exit storyline that will propel the Connors into even more explosive plotlines throughout the rest of the year."

Gallagher's character is expected to be killed off in Underworld itself, but it is not yet clear how he will meet his end. The fate of his on-screen wife - glamourous Carla Connor - now has a question mark hanging over it.

The Connor family joined the soap in July last year, making their first appearance as a unit in September. Carla - played by Alison King - first appeared at the beginning of December.