A YOUNG soap star has urged the public to wear masks on public transport as they travel to see loved ones this Christmas.

Blackburn-born Alex Bain, 20, who plays the delinquent Simon Barlow on ITV's Coronation Street, posted the pandemic related message on Instagram as he travelled to Chester by train to meet strawberry-blonde squeeze Mollie Lockwood, 18, as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to grip the UK.

He wrote: "Off to Chester to see and pick up Mollie Lockwood before Christmas.

"Please make sure when you travel, wear a mask. The more we all do to help, the quicker we will get back to normality!".

Lockwood and Bain have been dating since 2019 and their relationship has seemingly gone from strength-to-strength throughout the pandemic.

In October, Bain posted a stream of mawkish messages directed towards Lockwood online as she posed for photographs in a fluffy off-white sweater as the cold weather commenced.

Unable to contain his infatuation, Bain commented beneath the deadpan poses: "Absolutely stunning! Those eyes are just incredible boo! I love you so much!"

Sweet nothings are commonplace on Bain's Instagram account since his courtship with Lockwood began two years ago. They packed on the PDA in a Chester nightclub in August while celebrating her 18th birthday.

While all seems sweet between the lovestruck teens, Bain's personal life has not always been plain-sailing.

He recently revealed that he had become the subject of vile online trolling after the birth of his first child, Lydia Rose, with ex-girlfriend Levi Selby aged 17.

He told a national newspaper that the trolls had targeted him and cruelly suggested that he was a 'bad parent' to his daughter.

He said: "If I didn’t stick at the job that I’m in now I would have been lost. Corrie has kept me going and especially having a daughter has kept me going – it gives me something to do.

"My family have been great and have always looked after me. They just said: 'you go in your own your lane, don't listen to what people say, because they're the people who are jealous of what you've got.'

"It has been a struggle over the years, but I think now I’m on the up."

Bain went to Griffin Park Primary School before making his on-screen debut on the cobbles in 2008.

He recently teased a new business endeavour, announcing that he is now the CEO and founder of Mjöllnir Productions Ltd - though few details have been given up to now.