Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Bruno Langley was sentenced to a 12-month community order at Manchester Magistrates' Court

Former Coronation Street actor Bruno Langley has admitted groping two women in a music venue.

The women were assaulted at the Band on the Wall music venue on Swan Street in Manchester on 1 October.

Langley, 34, of Altrincham, admitted two sexual assaults and was sentenced to a 12-month community order at Manchester Magistrates' Court.

ITV said he had left the soap's cast, but existing storylines meant he would be seen on screen until 24 December.

The court heard Langley had grabbed the crotch of one woman and touched the breasts and bottom of the other while drunk.

Prosecutor Karen Saffman said the actor had been "clearly intoxicated" when he approached the first woman, who was out with her husband.

Reading from the woman's victim statement, she said he had "properly grabbed" her crotch with a "rough grab".

Image copyright ITV Image caption Bruno Langley played Todd Grimshaw, Coronation Street's first openly gay character, for 16 years

Ms Saffman said the woman "was thinking about hitting him" but instead confronted him, asking: "Did you do that on purpose?"

She said Langley had not replied but a man who was with him apologised for the actor's actions.

The court heard the woman had then gone to the toilets where she was approached by his second victim who told her she had also been attacked.

'Quite disgraceful'

Ms Saffman said Langley had also sexually touched two other women, but had not faced charges over those assaults.

She added that while he was not charged, those incidents were "indicative of his behaviour" on the night.

Sentencing, District Judge Mark Hadfield said he had to consider if he would pass a custodial sentence, telling Langley his actions had been "quite disgraceful and degrading".

He said Langley had shown genuine remorse, though his defence of being drunk was "not mitigation, [but] a further aggravating feature" and the "consequences" of what happened were "serious for all concerned, the two victims but also for you".

"You have lost your good name and I know nothing of showbusiness, but... in the current climate, I suspect it may be very difficult for you to gain employment in that industry in the future," he added.

Langley was handed a 12-month community order, including 40 days of rehabilitation activity, and was ordered to wear an electronic tag, observe a curfew and pay £250 compensation to his victims.

He also must sign the sex offenders register for five years.

Langley, whose contract was terminated after an internal inquiry in October, had played Coronation Street's first openly gay character Todd Grimshaw since 2001.