ROSSENDALE Coronation Street star Anthony Cotton has threatened to call in police after receiving homophobic abuse on Twitter.

The Edenfield-born star, who plays Sean Tully in the Granada soap, has 113,000 followers on the microblogging and social networking service.

The openly-gay 35-year-old reacted after being told by user ‘kittykatlovex’: ‘I hope you get AIDS and die you freak’.

Anthony posted “I think we should report this one to the police... What say you tweeple?”

Later he added: “Don’t worry tweeps – I’m not upset!

“She looks like Worzel Gummidge!”

In further tweets, Anthony said: “It is important to stand up, speak out and stamp out homophobia.

“And for that reason it’s important that I stand up for myself and make a point at least.

“Homophobia has no place in our society.

“What anyone thinks of me, the actor off the telly, is none of my business.

“But as a gay man, I am proud of who I am and the community I am part of. Some people are gay, get over it.”

He was backed up by his co-star Kym Marsh, 34, who later tweeted: “You wouldn’t say it to our faces.

“You’re not normal and need locking up.”

The ‘kittykatlovex’ Twitter account has now been suspended.

Later the actor told fans that he was ‘fairly thick-skinned’ but he felt it was important to highlight the abuse.