CORONATION Street scriptwriter Peter Whalley gets a kick out of naming characters in the famous soap after his favourite football team.

For avid Clarets fan Peter - who has been writing for the top TV soap for nearly 25 years - admitted that when he is stumped for names he often turns to the club's first team line-up for a spot of inspiration.

And Peter, who in the past has been responsible for major plots, including the recent Peter Barlow love triangle, hasn't ruled out using the name of Turf Moor manager Stan Ternent in one of his storylines.

Clarets season ticket holder Peter, 57, was born and brought up in Colne and went to school at St Mary's College, Blackburn.

But after studying Philosophy at Lancaster University he initially went on to become a secondary school English teacher.

He started writing plays in the 1970s before joining the soap as a scriptwriter in 1979. His first storyline involved a lorry ploughing into the front of the Rovers Return.

During his 24 year career, Peter, who also wrote for ill-fated 80s soap, Albion Market, has had a hand in storylines including Rita's husband Alan Bradley being run over by a Blackpool tram.

He is also responsible for writing next year's New Year's Day storyline - which includes the aftermath of the "wedding day" between corner shop assistant Sunita and bad-boy Kieron.

Dad-of-two Peter, whose favourite Clarets player is Robbie Blake, said: "There have been quite a few occasions when I have used the names of Burnley players, but they were usually very minor characters, because obviously the major characters had already been given names.

"Quite often they turned up as police officers, or officers in another capacity.

"When you have been writing for any length of time it is sometimes suprisingly difficult to think of a name and there are so many names that you can't use, such as your next door neighbour or someone you know.

"It used to be an easy solution to go to Burnley's team line-up.

"I would be writing a scene, where perhaps someone was in the Kabin or the Rovers and there would be a Police Constable that you would have to write a name down.

"I may have been to a match the weekend before and a member of the team would just jump into my head.

"I haven't used him before, but I wouldn't rule out using Stan Ternent's name in the future."