Barbara Knox arrest: Coronation Street's Rita Tanner star held for suspected drink-driving after driving to police station 'under the influence'
The TV star, who plays Rita Tanner in the ITV soap, was held by police in Cheshire after she demanded the release of her daughter
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The cast of Coronation Street has been rocked by yet another scandal after veteran actress Barbara Knox, aged 80, was arrested for suspected drink-driving.
The TV star, who plays Rita Tanner in the ITV soap, was held by police in Cheshire following an afternoon out with her daughter Maxine Ashcroft.
Ashcroft, 56, was breathalysed after she drove her mother home from their day together.
According to reports in The Sun, Knox later turned up at Cheshire’s Knutsford Police Station to demand her daughter’s release.
However, upon arriving at the station, police suspected that Knox had driven there under the influence herself and arrested her as well.
She has been bailed until the end of the month pending further inquiries.
A Cheshire Police spokesman said: “Police stopped a car in Hollow Lane in Knutsford. A 56-year-old woman from Gloucestershire was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.
“An 80-year-old woman from Knutsford later arrived at Knutsford Police Station and was also arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and bailed.”
A Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman confirmed that Maxine Ashcroft was charged with driving a motor vehicle on a road “after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in your breath, namely 97 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeded the prescribed limit.”
The legal alcohol limit for drivers in the UK is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Ashcroft is set to appear before Macclesfield magistrates on 2 April.
A spokesperson for Coronation Street declined to comment, but told The Independent: “This is a personal and private matter.”
Knox first appeared in the soap in 1964.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.