A Coronation Street director suspected of attempting to groom a 13-year-old girl has been arrested.
Tim Dowd was taken in by police at his home in Keswick, West Yorkshire on suspicion of enticing a child into sexual activity after claims he’d been talking to the minor online, reports the Sun.
The ‘girl’ in question turned out to be an undercover police officer, which prompted his arrest.
He was questioned and later released and investigations are ongoing, according to West Yorkshire police.
The 65-year-old was credited on both of Friday night’s episodes of Corrie but has been let go from his role by producers.
The show’s bosses confirmed that he no longer worked for the soap but refused to comment on his arrest.
He had been due renew his Coronation Street contract, thought to be worth £100,000 (around €113,323) a year, next month.
Dowd had directed almost 200 episodes of the soap and has worked in television for over three decades and has credits for other ITV shows including Heartbeat and Emmerdale.
It comes after Corrie actor Bruno Langley was fired after admitting to sexually assaulting two women on a night out.
“No one can believe the show has found itself mired in controversy yet again,” a source told the publication.
“Tim is very much innocent until proven guilty, but the fact of his arrest means we are attracting headlines for all the wrong reasons.”
