Actor called UK soap star 'cockroach'

CORONATION Street star William Roache was called a "cockroach" by a fellow cast member, a UK court has heard.

And one of his alleged sex assault victims was warned by Peter Adamson, who played Len Fairclough in the soap, that he would "lead you astray", the jury heard.

The witness claims Roache indecently assaulted her when she was about 14 after he arranged passes for herself and her younger sister on a visit to Granada Studios in Manchester.

She told the jury at Preston Crown Court last week that Roache groped her in a room after being led past the Rovers Return pub on the set.

On Monday, she was cross-examined by the defendant's lawyer, Louise Blackwell QC, and claimed that Adamson made the "cockroach" remark about the actor while she was at the studios.

"It was Len Fairclough that made the comment," she said.

"Because when he said it he looked directly at him and he looked at us and said 'You want to keep your eye on him, he will lead you astray' and he called him 'cockroach'.

"Len Fairclough said that he would lead us astray. He called him a cockroach with a capital C."

Roache, 81, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, denies two counts of rapes and five counts of indecent assault involving five complainants aged 16 and under on dates between 1965 and 1971.

The court heard that the alleged victim and her sister would sit on the steps outside the studio in the summer holidays in the mid to late 1960s, along with other girls and boys who were autograph-hunting.

But on one occasion after being invited inside the studios, Roache, who has played Ken Barlow in the ITV soap for more than 50 years, took her to his dressing room and indecently assaulted her by putting his hands on her breasts and up her skirt.

She told police: "He was like an octopus - hands everywhere."

Challenged about her account of what happened by Blackwell, the witness told the court: "It happened, no matter what you are saying or what your job is, it happened.

"I have no reason to lie, no reason in the world."

Later Blackwell put it to the witness: "Are you even trying to tell the truth here?"

"I'm telling the truth," she replied.

"Why the hell would I put myself through all of this?"

Roache was charged last May with two counts of rape on one alleged victim, with the publicity that following leading to the four other complainants coming forward.

The witness said she felt the incident had been her fault "for being there in the first place".

Her sister claims she was abused by Roache on a separate occasion.

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Escaped Greek terrorist vows to fight govt

A GREEK fugitive who vanished on leave from prison while serving six life sentences for left-wing bombings and shootings has vowed a return to armed action.

Christodoulos Xiros, 55, was convicted in 2003, along with two of his brothers, of belonging to the November 17 organisation.

The group emerged in the mid-1970s and claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks against foreign diplomats and Greek politicians and businessmen over nearly three decades.

He vanished on January 7 while on a seven-day leave from prison to visit his family.

In a video posted Monday on the internet, Xiros read a seven-page statement.

It was accompanied by an apparently recent photo of him in front of pictures 19th-century Greek resistance fighters and Latin American rebel Che Guevara.

A text version of the statement was included in the posting.

"I once again decided to make the guerilla rifle thunder against those who stole our lives and sold our dreams to make a profit," Xiros says in the statement, which rails against how Greece's financial crisis was handled.

He criticises the media, the judiciary, the police and the extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party, and invites Greece's security forces to join with him.

The statement reserves particular bile for the two parties in Greece's governing coalition, the conservative New Democracy and the socialist Pasok, accusing them of treason and stating that the "price of their treason is death."

In extensive references to the financial crisis, he claims that Greece and other European countries have become colonies under "German occupation."

Germany is the single largest contributor toward international rescue loans that Greece has been relying on for years.

"If we ever meet again, which I don't hope (and neither should you) you will do well to kill me. Because if you take me captive again, I will leave again to fight you to the end," Xiros said in the statement.

November 17, which mixed Marxist ideology with nationalism, killed 23 people - including British, American and Turkish diplomats and military officials - before being broken up after a string of arrests in 2002.

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Thai unrest cancels Frankie Valli concert

SIXTIES doo-wop singer Frankie Valli has cancelled a concert in Bangkok scheduled for this week because of Thailand's political unrest.

Promoter BEC-Tero Entertainment PCL says that Wednesday's performance was scrapped because of difficulties associated with the unrest and for the safety of the audience.

The concert was to be held at a venue close to a site where protesters have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Violence has marred some of the protests, leading to nine deaths since November. Two explosions wounded 28 people in Bangkok on Sunday.

The promoter said concerts by other visiting artists, including Avril Lavigne in February and Eric Clapton and Bruno Mars, both in March, were still on schedule.

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Royal communications teams to merge

THE Prince of Wales' communications team is to merge with its counterpart at Buckingham Palace - a major development towards Charles' future role as king.

Charles' communications secretary Sally Osman will be in charge of the combined press office with the new title of communications director.

The development is not only a physical move but a symbolic one as the Prince's staff will leave their Clarence House offices for Buckingham Palace - likely to be the prince's official home when he is head of state.

There is also speculation that Charles will take on a more prominent role supporting the Queen in her official duties.

With the Queen, 87, and Duke of Edinburgh, 92, advancing in years it is thought Charles may carry out long-haul overseas engagements on behalf of his mother.

Charles has already represented the Queen at a major summit of Commonwealth leaders in Sri Lanka, the first time he has performed the role.

A Clarence House spokeswoman stressed that the Prince and senior members of the royal family have been and will continue to support the Queen in her official duties.

"The Prince and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, carry out engagements to support her and represent her and she's still incredibly busy," she said.

Charles' press office was set up in the early 1990s and will merge with Buckingham Palace's communications team in the coming weeks.

Osman will be in overall charge of the press affairs of all senior royals and will maintain close links with the Palace as she will be managed by the Queen's private secretary Sir Christopher Geidt.

The Clarence House spokeswoman added: "A decision has been taken to re-integrate the press and communications teams across the three royal households into one royal communications team, based at Buckingham Palace.

"Communications teams across the royal households are always looking for ways to work together better.

"This reintegration will formalise that collaboration and help us communicate the work of the royal family more effectively, making full use of modern media and the range of expertise we have across the whole team."

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Overnight repairs on West Gate Bridge

ROAD crews worked overnight to repair a large crack in Melbourne's West Gate Bridge.

The crack, about five metres in length, appeared on Monday morning on the bitumen surface of a steel section of the bridge.

The crack is in the inbound lanes one and two of the bridge, which closed temporarily on Monday afternoon for emergency works.

Three lanes were closed on Monday night as crews completed a more thorough repair job and the bridge was expected to reopen in time for the Tuesday morning peak-hour traffic.

VicRoads believes last week's record heatwave, where temperatures reached more than 41C for four days in a row, caused the damage.

VicRoads acting chief executive Peter Todd said engineers climbed into the bridge and determined the structure was sound and drivers could have confidence in the bridge's structure.

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Gladstone fishers in compo court claim

A GROUP of commercial fishermen suing the Gladstone Ports Corporation for millions of dollars in business losses will have their case heard in Brisbane on Monday.

The group of more than 20 fishermen is seeking compensation for losses linked to an outbreak of fish disease in Gladstone Harbour on the central Queensland coast in 2011.

They claim dredging associated with a massive port development designed to accommodate liquefied natural gas exports caused the outbreak.

In 2012 an application by fishermen and business owners for a hearing was denied by the Planning and Environment Court.

On Monday a claim involving only commercial fishermen will be heard.

Former Gladstone fisherman Trevor Falzon said fishers had been offered minimal compensation and the group was seeking a fair and just outcome.

The 50-year-old said he had been forced to give up his livelihood because of the disease outbreak, which he said was still affecting the harbour.

"The Coordinator-General said any commercial fisherman affected by the development in Gladstone Harbour would be compensated," he told AAP.

"We didn't ask for this development to happen but now we're paying the price."

The hearing has been set down for one day in the Planning and Environment Court.

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NSW cabinet to discuss alcohol violence

THE NSW government will discuss ways to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence during its first full meeting of the year following weeks of pressure to act.

Premier Barry O'Farrell on Thursday announced that cabinet would consider a suite of measures to reduce incidents like the one-hit attacks responsible for the tragic deaths of two Sydney teenagers, Thomas Kelly and Daniel Christie.

The proposals to be considered by cabinet include better alcohol licensing regulation, boosted police resources and penalties targeting those who commit crimes while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Several community and professional groups and the NSW opposition favour the "Newcastle solution", under which shots are prohibited after midnight, a 1am lockout is enforced and last drinks are poured at 3am.

The federal Greens have called for a Senate inquiry into drunken violence.

They have been pushing for an inquiry into the promotion and advertising of alcohol but Senator Scott Ludlam believes it should be broader and look at the "epidemic" of booze-fuelled bashings.

"I don't think there has ever been a better time to look at what measures the Commonwealth can take to reduce the horrific impact on people's lives and on families," he told reporters on Sunday.

But NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson says he didn't want the premier "hiding behind yet another inquiry".

The premier, he said, must announce early lockouts in drinking venues.

"All the experts, whether it's police, ambulance officers or the other health professionals dealing with this problem, all know the solution to this is the Newcastle solution," he said.

Pressure has been mounting on Mr O'Farrell to take action following the death of Mr Christie, who died in hospital when his life support was switched off 11 days after a king-hit attack on New Year's Eve at Kings Cross.

Mr Christie's alleged assailant, Shaun McNeil, is facing murder charges.

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