Police: Corrie 'glamourises drink driving'

A superintendent for Sussex Police has slammed Coronation Street for glamourising drink driving.

Paul Morrison claimed that the character Steve McDonald, who works for a taxi firm, sets a bad example to viewers because he is always drinking at the Rovers Return pub.

Morrison told the Daily Mail: "If you look at programmes like Coronation Street, they are all drinking. The taxi cab bloke is always in the Rovers at dinnertime having a drink.

"It would be nice to see people who seem to be drinking and driving on some of these popular TV programmes getting nicked from time to time."

Simon Gregson, who plays McDonald on the soap, was himself convicted of drinking and driving in 2006. The actor then posed for photographs in front of the Rovers Returns with a sign that read "Don't drink and drive".

Morrison added: "You only have to read the papers to see how much effect TV programmes have on people's lives. So many of them glamourise drinking. When everybody drinks it doesn't give a good message. It is not helpful."

A Granada spokeswoman said that no character on the show drinks and drives.

"He (Steve McDonald) doesn't drive the cabs as a cabbie. He works full-time as the owner of the Rovers. He doesn't drink and drive.

"Coronation Street does have people drinking in the pub during the day, but there is nothing to suggest they drive afterwards.

"Lloyd Mullaney, who drives the taxis on the show, does go into the pub at lunchtime. We make a point that he orders an orange juice."