CORONATION Street star Barbara Knox has been fined £3,000 and banned from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to drink driving.

The 80-year-old actress, from Knutsford, best known for playing Rita Tanner in the soap, originally denied that she got behind the wheel of a Jaguar while drunk on March 10 this year.

But this morning she changed her plea to guilty at Crewe magistrates court.

She was stopped and breathalysed and gave a reading of 44mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. She was arrested and taken to a custody suite

She later gave a sample of blood which showed she had 85mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The limit being 80.

District Judge Bridget Knight told Knox had she pleaded guilty at the outset nine months ago, her ban would nearly be up.

She was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,750.

She was defended in court by Mere-resident Nick Freeman, the lawyer known as 'Mr Loophole'.