Coronation Street star William Roache forced a schoolgirl to commit a sex act on him as she attended a talent contest at Granada Studios, a court heard today.

His alleged victim, 14, was first invited into a Coronation Street dressing room before Roache led her into the men’s toilet.

She claims that without even speaking to her he made her perform a sex act on him before they returned to the dressing room.

The 81-year-old actor, who was 33 at the time of the alleged attack in the summer of 1965, asked for the girl’s address and later sent her a letter and a signed photograph which she still has, the court heard.

Later that year, she claims Roache gave her a lift in his car where she “believes” another sex act took place.

The alleged victim, now 63, told a jury at Preston Crown Court that she encountered Roache while exploring the studio complex in central Manchester.

She said she and a friend were invited into a dressing room by Roache and Alan Rothwell, the actor who played the role of David Barlow.

“We would have appeared like two excited young teenagers who had just failed an audition.

“The atmosphere was quite chatty. We were just excited to be in the company of famous actors.”

Asked how she felt, she replied: “Probably a little taken aback but excited and flattered. I supposed they were actually talking to us and interested in what we’d been doing.”

At some point Roache grabbed her arm and pulled her into what turned out to be the gents toilet, the court heard.

He took hold of her hand and allegedly forced her to commit a sex act on him.

“I didn’t really appreciate what was happening. It was outside my experience.

“I just knew it was wrong. This may sound strange, but my main worry was that I was in the gents toilet. I was the one in the wrong place, so what was wrong was me.

“My primary feeling was to get out of there because I shouldn’t be there. I remember hurriedly leaving the room.

“I have the impression he kissed me on the lips at some point when we were in the gents.

“I was a little bit in shock. I didn’t really understand.”

Once back in the dressing room both actors were called away. Roache asked how he could get in touch with her and so she wrote her address on a note, leaving it on his dressing table.

Anne Whyte, QC, prosecuting, has told the jury that Roache’s decision to send the girl the letter and photograph “was not just the benign personal touch of a socially responsible and already well known young actor” but a deliberate act designed to “secure her unquestioning loyalty as a fan for a sexual purpose”.

She added: “It is perfectly plain from the note he sent that he knew she was still a schoolgirl, and we suggest perfectly plain that his attention to her went beyond a busy actor simply being nice to a young fan.”

A short time later Roache wrote a letter to his alleged victim and enclosed a signed photograph.

The letter read: “Dear X, Thank you for your marvellous letter and the nice things you said in it.

“I’m enclosing a photo which I hope you will like.

“I’m away for three weeks now and if would like a letter from you waiting for me when I get back. Write to me when you start school again and tell me more. Love Bill xx”

Miss X said she had felt flattered to receive Roache’s letter, but didn’t understand some of its content.

“I hadn’t written a letter,” she said. “I may have left a note as well as my address.

“The ‘tell me more’ didn’t make sense. I didn’t know what it referred to.”

Miss X told the court she had not told her friend of the alleged incident with Roache.

“I suppose I was a bit ashamed at what happened, still not understanding.”

Twice-married Roache, who has played the role of Ken Barlow in ITV’s flagship soap for more than 50 years, denies twice raping one girl and carrying out five indecent assaults on four other girls.

Three of the alleged indecent assaults are said to have taken place in 1965, the others in 1970 and 1971. The alleged rapes are said to have happened in 1967.

Roache, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, sat in the dock wearing a dark blue suit, blue and white striped tie and white shirt.

His daughter, Verity, 32, and sons Linus, 39, and James, 28, both actors, sat in the public gallery 10 yards away.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Holroyde, has reminded the jury that they are considering the case of William Roache the actor rather than the character he plays in the soap.

The case continues.