RIBBLETON Avenue Methodist school invited their most famous former pupil Roy Barraclough - Coronation Street's lovable rogue Alec Gilroy (pictured) - to open their new library on Monday.

And he let the children into a little secret - they'll soon be seeing a lot more of him!

For just months after leaving Britain's most popular soap, he's making a come-back to Wetherfield next week as manager of a travel shop promoting cruises. And this time he's planning to stay.

But he said it won't be the same without Bet around to nag him and spend all his money.

He said: "I'm looking forward to returning to the Street. But it's hard to imagine Bet not being there."

And a Granada insider confirmed Bet would not be making a come-back. She said: "Alec will be using the Rovers Return to have a pint and a whiskey but that's about as near to Bet as he'll get."

Roy, 61, attended Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Church in 1950 and he was an entertainer even then.

He said: "Everyone used to call me fatty and I ended up becoming the class comedian telling jokes all the time, I used to get in right trouble."

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