Coronation Street star Bill Roache on trial for child sex and rape offences 81-year-old, who has played Ken Barlow for 50 years, denies all charges Actor is accused of two counts of rape and five of indecent assault The alleged attacks were on girls aged between 11 and 16 Court hears abuse was in toilets, in Rolls Royce and in Lancashire house Two of alleged victims are sisters, the other three do not know eachother Stars who play Deidre Barlow, Pater Barlow and Gail Platt to give evidence Fame allowed Coronation Street star Bill Roache to carry out sex attacks on young girls including one who he forced to perform a sex act on him in a Granada Studios toilet, a court heard today. Roache, 81, then sent her an autographed photograph and a letter to 'secure her loyalty' and silence, the jury was told. The star, who has played Ken Barlow in the soap since 1960, is accused of two counts of raping a 15-year-old in 1967 and five indecent assaults involving four girls aged between 11 and 16, between 1965 and 1968. Prosecutors claim he targeted 'star struck teenagers', including autograph hunters, before attacking them at the Manchester studios where Coronation Street was filmed, in his Rolls Royce and at a house in Lancashire. End of day one: Bill Roache leaves Preston crown Court with his sons James, Linus, and daughter Verity today, where he is accused of raping a child and five other sex offences In the dock: Coronation Street star Bill Roache is accused of two counts of rape and five indecent assaults dating back almost 50 years Anne Whyte QC, opening the case said: 'Mr Roache presents a fictional image of himself for a living - it is part and parcel of his work and fame. But in this room, with you, he is William Roache, not Ken Barlow. He is the defendant and you are the jury. Famous: Roache, pictured with youngest daughter Verity, is probably Britain's best known soap star, and the jury were asked to ignore what they know about his character Ken Barlow The barrister said the case concerned events which happened a long time ago but that did not mean the allegations were less important. 'If you think a victim of crime has lost the opportunity to complain because he or she did not complain at or near the time, please think again,' she said, adding: 'A crime is a crime, whenever it takes place'. Setting out the allegations made by five women, the prosecutor said the first complainant in the case contacted the police last March. Her son had been discussing sex scandals involving the late Cyril Smith and Jimmy Savile, and how long it had taken for victims of sexual offences to come forward. She then told him he had been attacked by Roache and agreed to go to the police. The victim, aged 15 at the time of the alleged offences in 1967, told police that she was at a house in Lancashire and claimed 'without any preliminaries' was led to a double bedroom and raped. The prosecutor said: 'He did not attempt to kiss her or sweet-talk her in any way. She describes it being uncomfortable and to feeling panic-stricken. She had never had sex before. Afterwards it was as if nothing had happened, the court heard. The second time, at the same house, Roache is alleged to have pushed her against a wall and raped her once more. 'When it was over, she ran out,' Miss Whyte said. The jury was then told about another alleged victim of Roache's, now aged 63, who was just 14 in 1965 when the actor is said to have indecently assaulted her. That summer she visited Granada Studios in central Manchester with a friend to take part in a talent show and afterwards she saw Roache in the building and recognised him, Miss Whyte said. She was naturally impressed. She and her friend ended up in a dressing room with the defendant and other actors,' the prosecutor said. Case: Prosecutor Anne Whyte, centre, told the court Roache, behind her, had used his fame to attack young girls He then led her by the arm to the men's toilet, where he allegedly made her commit a sex act on him. There was no conversation and they went back to the dressing room where her friend was still chatting to an actor. Afterwards, Roache sent her a letter and signed photograph of himself, which will be shown to the jury. But this was not a 'benign personal touch' by a 'well-known young male actor', the court heard. Instead it was a deliberate act, Miss Whyte said, 'designed to impress a young schoolgirl and to secure her unquestioning loyalty as a fan for a sexual purpose. A sort of grooming, as we would nowadays call it. The girl felt 'flattered', even though she knew what had happened was wrong. 'This, the Crown say, demonstrates how easy it is for someone in the defendant's position to manipulate the trust and attention of star-struck teenagers,' the court heard Allegations: The actor allegedly attacked two of the young girls in the toilets at Granada Studios in Manchester, the court heard Another of the alleged victims was sexually abused in a ladies' toilets, the court heard. Roache walked in behind her and 'before she had the chance to say anything he used his chest to push her backwards against the wall of one of the cubicles'. 'He pushed his hand up her jumper and started to fondle one of her breasts over her bra,' said Miss Whyte. Over the years the alleged victim told a couple of relatives and her husband, the court heard. She said, if the woman was correct in what she said, then it again showed the 'opportunistic way' the defendant seemed to have chosen his moment. It was another 'unceremonious sexual act' in a risky place with a teenage girl with Roache 'using his position and fame to try and obtain a continuation of sexual gratification' where he was 'plainly sexually unrestrained'. Attacks: The prosecution say the star enjoyed attacking girls ins in a risky place, 'using his position and fame to try and obtain a continuation of sexual gratification' Another woman, now in her late 50s, and her sister were both young victims of Roache, the jury was told. The sisters, then aged 14 to 16, would go to Granada Studios in the school holidays, hoping to catch a glimpse of stars. 'That fact, in itself, tells you something of the allure of the show and its stars even in those early days of the 1960s,' the jury heard. The sisters 'caught the eye' of Roache, who gave them a lift home in his Rolls-Royce and promised to get them passes to the studios. When he did so, one day he was alone with the elder sister in the studios. Without warning, he pushed himself against his victim, fondled her breasts and put his hand up her skirt and into her knickers. The youngster convinced him to stop and she never returned to the studios. 'She too was clearly of the opinion that no one until recently would have believed her,' Miss Whyte said. Entrance: The star's security were forced to clear path through a crowd as he arrived at Preston Crown Court this morning But a combination of events gave her the courage to pick up the phone and call police, the jury heard, partly because of comments made by Roache in a TV interview which 'grated' with her and partly because other women had come forward. The younger sister said on another occasion she stood outside Granada Studios with a friend in the hope of getting an autograph. Roache offered them a lift home in his silver Rolls-Royce and the complainant sat in the front. She described how she felt 'frozen and petrified' as he made her commit a sex act on him. Miss Whyte said he stopped the car afterwards, gave her half a crown (12.5p) and told her to get the bus home. The prosecutor said the younger sister said something 'remarkably similar' to one of the other complainants when she was interviewed by detectives. 'She said "I feel intimidated because people feel he is some kind of super actor and they think he's lovely and always William Roache what a good man he is', you know, you don't stand a chance if you went forward."' Apart from two of the alleged victims, who were sisters, there was nothing else to link any of the complainants, the court heard. Arrival: Coronation Street Star Bill Roache walks to Preston Crown Court with children Linus (behind left), James (next left) and Verity (right) for the start of his trial, where he is accused of historical sexual offences Support: Roache - who has played Ken Barlow for decades - arrived flanked by his security in front and his children behind As his four-week trial started today, jurors were told to remember the actor is accused of sex offences - not his much-loved character Ken Barlow. Mr Justice Holroyde QC said it was important to distinguish between the 'real person' and the part he has played on the ITV soap since its first episode in 1960. The jury in his trial at Preston Crown Court, which started today, were also told his on screen wife, son and one of Coronation Street's biggest stars will give evidence in his defence. Anne Kirkbride, Chris Gascoigne and Helen Worth, who play the characters Deirdre Barlow, Peter Barlow and Gail McIntyre, will be in the witness box during the four-week trial. The actor walked into and left court flanked by three of his children, Linus, James, and Verity, and led by a team of security guards. Inside the packed courtroom, Roache's family sat on the front row of seats in the public gallery. Before the trial began, a panel of potential jurors was brought into court and given a warning before any was selected to sit on the jury, and they were reminded to ignore his fame. Mr Justice Holroyde said: 'You may feel in one sense you know the defendant, Mr Roache. He is well known as an actor who for many years has played the part of Ken Barlow in Coronation Street. But of course this is not the fictional character of Ken Barlow in court. It is a real person, William Roache, who is on trial. You must separate the fictional character from the real person, you will have to decide verdicts from the evidence you will hear from a real person, about a real person. When charged with rape, Roache - who plays Ken Barlow in the ITV1 show - issued a statement in which he said he was 'astounded and deeply horrified' by the accusations. He said: 'I strenuously deny the allegations and will now focus my full attention on fighting to preserve my innocence in the challenging times ahead. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all those people who have offered me their support and good wishes at this difficult time. On screen: The actor's on screen wife, Deidre, played by Anne Kirkbride, will give evidence during the four week trial, the court heard Roache later formally pleaded not guilty to the seven counts he faces. The world's longest-serving soap actor has not appeared in the programme while the legal proceedings are ongoing. He has been on bail since his arrest with various conditions including residence, no direct unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and not to approach named witnesses. Roache denies two counts of rape and five counts of indecent assault. The trial continues