Police chief slams Coronation Street for 'glamorising drink driving' - and wants soap characters arrested

Superintendent Paul Morrison said soap characters such as the Street's cab driver McDonald - regularly seen drinking in the Rovers Return - set a bad example to drivers.

The Sussex Police traffic chief says the show should stop showing packed lunchtime pubs - and instead should screen scenes where Rovers regulars are arrested and banned from driving.

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Supt Morrison said today: "If you look at programs 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."

He said soap operas influenced habits by showing people drinking then apparently going about their normal business.

He said: "You only have to read the papers to see how much effect TV programs have on people's lives.

"So many of them glamorise drinking. When everybody drinks it doesn't give a good message. It is not helpful."

Simon Gregson, who plays McDonald in the soap, was himself convicted of drink-driving in 2006.

The actor posed for photos outside the Rovers Return, with a placard reading "Don't drink and drive".

A spokeswoman for Granada, which makes Coronation Street, insisted today that none of the show's characters drinks and drives.

McDonald no longer drives professionally on the show but runs the firm's office and works at the Rovers Return, she said.

"He 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."