The Coronation Street Actor Said He “Dabbed in Homosexuality"

A former Coronation Street actor accused of sexually abusing a child 'dabbled with homosexuality' but never had sexual relations with minors, a court heard today.

Andrew Lancel, 42, was charged last November with six counts of indecent assault of a child under the age of 16.

The charges relate to one male victim and the offending allegedly took place between 1993 and 1994 when he was aged 14 and 15.

The actor, from Gateacre in Liverpool, is best known for his role as Frank Foster in the ITV soap.

 Lancel, charged under his real name Andrew Watkinson,  has pleaded not guilty and is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Today the jury heard extracts from Lancel's police interviews in which he denied any wrongdoing.

Lancel, who is married with a son, told police he was heterosexual but said he had had 'experiences other than with a female' when he was younger.

He told police that it was when he was 'drunk at parties, sitting around. It was a bit of show-and-tell, you know'.

The court heard that the actor told police: 'I got my c*** out, for want of a better word, on many many occasions. Maybe I shouldn’t have.'

He said: 'I have been around for a long time, you know. I’m 42 so I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t dabbled.'

The actor, from Gateacre in Liverpool, is best known for his role as Frank Foster in the ITV soap

But he went on to tell police that he has a wife and he is not gay.

He said: 'It's nothing. I’ve not broken any laws. I have been to parties, heavy parties.

'I’ve not broken any laws...I've never had a relationship with a man.

'I've never had sexual intercourse with a man and if I had I would tell you.'

Police asked if he had ever masturbated a man and the actor said: 'Nothing with minors or children.'

Asked about oral sex, he replied: 'I can categorically say I have not had oral sex with a man or masturbated with minors or a child...It’s just like, you know, nothing like that.'

The actor said he remembered meeting the complainant in Southport and said he became good friends with his accuser, who was part of a 'gang of friends'.

Lancel said that when his accuser was older and began studying and working in London he stayed at the flats he rented on numerous occasions.

But the defendant said he has not seen a great deal of him 'over the last couple of years'.

He told police he was 'very proud of what (the complainant) has achieved through his career and admits he takes credit for discovering him.'

The actor said his mother's house in Southport - where the sexual abuse is alleged to have begun - was a 'party pad that lots of people visited.'

He said he was 'probably aware' of the complainant at the time in 1993/1994 but that he 'did not actually know him' and that he was probably away from Southport in 1993 working in Scotland.

He said: 'My memory of (him) at the age of 14 is not strong. My memory of knowing him as a young man in London is very strong.'

'I don’t deny I definitely knew him. I knew lots of people.

He added: 'I’m not denying I knew him. I am denying what he is saying.'

Lancel, charged under his real name Andrew Watkinson, has pleaded not guilty and is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court

The prosecution claim the defendant used his 'status' as an actor to flatter and gain the trust of the boy, whom he knew was under the age of consent.

But in his police interviews Lancel denied that any inappropriate sexual activity took place.

He told the police that his accuser owed him money after he failed to pay him rent on the last occasion he let him stay at his London flat.

But he said he was a 'forgiving Christian' and that he was 'very fond' of him.

Police asked Lancel about text messages he received from his accuser which called him 'vile' and said he 'didn’t deserve what he had' and that what he had done was 'massively illegal'.

Lancel said: 'I remember thinking what’s that all about?'

He told police that he thought the man might be 'jealous' or 'p***** off' thinking that Lancel had told people that he owed him money or that it could have something to do with his 'profile'.

It was around the time that his Coronation Street character Frank Foster was about to be killed off.

He said: 'I was on the cover of every magazine. I’m not bragging. That’s what was happening.”

Referring to the texts he said: 'I just remember thinking what the f*** is that? I remember thinking s*** I hope he is all right.

'I remember thinking, is this to do with my job?'

Lancel told police that at first he was not sure if the texts were genuine and that they may have come from someone else.

'I thought it might not be him. He might have been set up or something.

'I thought it might be drugs. I thought it might be something like that.'

Lancel said that his accuser had never brought the allegations up with him in all the years they were 'mates'.

The jury was sent home for the day and the trial will resume tomorrow at 10am when it is thought Lancel will give evidence.

The trial continues.