Michael Le Vell's 'scared for his life' after getting death threats and having his car window smashed by vigilantes

Le Vell forced to call the police after his car's rear window was smashed

People leaving hate messages on his Facebook and Twitter pages

One demanded he's 'axed in the skull' and another said he should be 'killed'

48-year-old now has a full-time bodyguard and believes he's being targeted



The actor, who plays Kevin Webster, likely to return to Corrie in February



Scared: Michael Le Vell is being sent hate messages and death threats since he was cleared of child sex charges

Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell says he is 'scared for his life' after suffering death threats and vigilante attacks since he was cleared of child sex charges.

In the latest in a series of incidents Le Vell, 48, was forced to call the police after someone smashed the rear window of his silver Ford Puma yesterday.



People have been leaving messages on his Facebook and Twitter accounts and he also fears he has been followed to his home in Hale, Cheshire.



'I’m innocent, so I should have no reason for

people to threaten me,' he told The Sun.



'I have never hidden away and I won’t start now — this was the act of a coward'.



One message sent to the actor said he should be 'axed in his skull' and another demanded he should be 'killed' and should be decapitated.



He now has a bodyguard employed to protect him round the clock and is regularly in contact with police.



'Michael is scared for his life,' a friend told The Sunday Mirror.

'What started with hate-mail over the internet has turned into something far more sinister.'



Mr Le Vell may now head to Australia on holiday to see his brother after suffering abuse.



The actor, who plays mechanic Kevin Webster, returned to the set of Coronation Street this week for the first time since he was found not guilty of child sex offences last month.



But the 48-year-old was not back in Weatherfield to reprise his role as Kevin Webster - instead he

was taking his sisters on a VIP tour of the well-known set.

Le Vell is not due to return to Coronation Street until February next year.



The actor was never suspended by the ITV soap.

He was recently ditched by bosses on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.



Vandalised: Forensic officers were carrying out checks on Le Vell's car which was smashed yesterday

During the trial the star was forced to admit he sank up to 12 pints a night, had a string of one-night stands and an affair while his wife had cancer treatment as the prosecution tried unsuccessfully to persuade the jury his 'dark little secrets' included child abuse.

In May he had a drink thrown over him in his local pub The Railway .

Tweets directed at the actors include one which said he 'needs his head cutting off'.



Hate campaign: A friend said what began as hate-mail has turned into something more sinister

Damaged: Michael Le Vell's car after vandals smashed the rear window

Le Vell celebrated with a pint of lager after he was found not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a girl from the age of six.

The jury in the Coronation Street star's trial took less than five hours to clear him of the child abuse charges he said left him 'fighting for my life'.

