Coronation Street actor Claire King reveals she is considering prospect of ending her life

'Most of my family will be gone. It’s not a selfish thing,' says British actor

Erica Holroyd, as played by Claire King in Coronation Street (Rex )

British actor Claire King has said she would consider euthanasia because she does not want to become a “burden to others.”

Speaking to The Mirror, the Coronation Street and former Emmerdale actor said: “I do worry about when I’m older and becoming a burden on people around me.

"I can understand why people choose assisted dying – and it’s getting to the point where I would consider it myself.”

“Most of my family will be gone. It’s not a selfish thing. It’s a decision at a certain age, when you’re becoming a burden to others.”

The topic of euthanasia was touched upon during an episode of the soap opera.

According to research compiled by Scope, disability costs a household an extra £550 per month on average.

Ms King developed rheumatoid arthritis, like her mother, in the 1990s and a number of her joints were removed as a result.

The actor, who played Coronation Street’s Erica Holroyd and her brother Piers, 52 care for their father and mother, both of whom have a number of health difficulties.

Her father John has specialist carers as well.

Neither consider looking after their parents to be a burden, and Ms King insists that caring for her parents is simply something they “grew up doing.”

Under current British law, both active euthanasia – a person deliberately intervenes to end someone’s life – and assisted suicide are illegal.

Depending on the case, euthanasia can be regarded either as manslaughter or murder, and assisting someone with suicide can be punishable by up to 14 years in prison.