An East Lancashire actor has given a message of support to her on-screen husband after it was revealed his character is to be killed off.

Actor Bruce Jones – who played Les Battersby for 10 years on Coronation Street – revealed at the weekend his former role is being axed by the soap.

Speaking to a national newspaper, he said soap executives told him by email the character, who he played from 1997 to 2007, was to die off-screen, with the character’s daughters Leanne and Toyah to be informed in November.

Les exited Weatherfield after walking out on his family to go on tour with a tribute band named ZZ Top O’ The Morning in 2007 and never returned.

Following Mr Jones revealing the news, Accrington’s Vicky Entwistle, who played his first on-screen wife on the soap Janice Battersby, paid tribute to her colleague.

She said in a tweet on X: “Well all I can do is [applaud].

“Thank you for the fun we had. I know you are hurt, an email does in no way qualify.

“I guess the constant calls for you to come back upset them!”

Despite what Ms Entwistle said, Mr Jones has said he has no hard feelings over the character’s death, or how he was informed.

He told a national newspaper: “[Show bosses] already emailed me over a fortnight ago to tell me what was happening.

“I actually thought, well fine, I played him for 10 years. It gives me closure.

“Maybe it will stop people asking me all the time when I’m going back, if I’m going back.

“People want me back, but it’ll stop all that, in shopping centres, wherever I go.

“I’m pleased it’s happening but I’m also sad about losing a character I played for 10 years. I’m grateful to the street for that.

“I went out the other day and people asked four times that day, ‘when are you coming back? The street is dead’.”

Explaining he had no hard feelings, Mr Jones, 71, added: “They gave me 10 years and I invented a great character and it became a great hit with everyone. I wish them all the luck in the world.

“I felt relieved, then I felt sadness, then I thought, ‘well, where would he go’ if he went back?

“How would he get back, what would he do? Where would the storylines take him?

“I don’t think they could really do that much with him, which is a shame.”

Ms Entwistle, 56, entered the street as Janice alongside Mr Jones in 1997. Their on-screen marriage ended in 2001 when she left him for Dennis Stringer, and Janice remained on the soap until 2011.