Michael Le Vell written out of Coronation Street 'indefinitely' after admitting to cocaine abuse

Producers confirmed that the actor is seeking help after he admitted to taking drugs recently

Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell (PA)

Michael Le Vell has been ordered to take a break from filming by Coronation Street bosses after he admitted to taking cocaine.

The 49-year-old actor, who plays Kevin Webster in the soap opera, has been written out of the series indefinitely while he gets help for his addiction.

He met with ITV producers to agree a deal today.

“Coronation Street and Michael Le Vell have mutually agreed that he will take a break from the programme whilst he seeks professional help for personal issues,” an ITV spokesperson confirmed.

“As of now he will be written out of the show,” a further TV source is quoted as saying by The Sun. “It was a brave decision to take.”

The troubled TV star admitted to snorting the drug twice after he was charged with 12 sex offences against a teenager.

“I’ve always been dead against drugs and have turned them down in the past," he told the Sunday Mirror. "I’ve seen what they can do to people.

"But I had never felt so low. I knew I was innocent but everything was closing in on me.

"And when someone offered them to me, I just agreed.

"The first time I ever did cocaine was in the lead up to my trial. There were some bad influences around me and it felt like an escape. Now I’m so ashamed of what I did.”

“I never thought that I was the sort of bloke who would like cocaine," he added. "But it was moments of weakness when I was at the lowest ebb of my life.”

Le Vell stood trial at Manchester Crown Court in September 2013, where he was found to be not guilty by a jury.

At the time, he also admitted to being an alcoholic who regularly consumed upwards of eight pints a night.

Le Vell will re-appear on TV screens from 21 March, as he has completed seven weeks of filming since returning to the show. He will then disappear from the series until further notice.