Coronation Street actor to open Shrewsbury travel agency

Actor Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone in the ITV1 show, will be the VIP guest at the opening of the new Midcounties Co-op Travel branch on Pride Hill.

He will be meeting fans at the store and signing autographs between 11am and 1pm.

Mr Halsall is one of the longest-serving members of the Coronation Street cast, having originally joined the soap in 1998.

The new store, which is taking on the space previously used by Past Times, is to create up to eight jobs.

Sue Reid, group general manager of travel distribution at Midcounties, said: "We are very excited about opening in Shrewsbury in this the International Year of Co-operatives and we wanted to create a real buzz.

"We are a locally owned and independent business with more than 90 years of travel experience. We see the new branch as a great opportunity to serve the local community which is why we have invested here.

"We are looking forward to welcoming local people and members and giving them a wider choice and independent advice when it comes to booking their holidays."

Midcounties has stated its aim to become the leading independent travel retailer in the UK, with co-operative values at its core.

It has embarked on a strategy of rapid growth and has plans to open travel branches around East Midlands Airport and to build on links with Birmingham and Bristol Airports.