THE National Foster Carers Association (NCFA) has praised St Helens Council for voicing concern over the current Coronation Street fostering storyline.

Council chiefs feared the 'buy a child' theme in the popular soap could be misleading potential foster carers and even putting people off fostering at all.

And the NFCA contacted the council to say they were delighted that the authority had highlighted this issue which they too were concerned about.

A spokeswoman for the NFCA said they too had advised Granada bosses not to use the plot because it could worsen the current national shortage of foster carers.

"There is a national shortage of foster carers and we need to encourage people to come forward. We are very concerned that a fictional storyline could be stopping real children from getting the care they need", she said.