Coronation Street stars give evidence in Bill Roache's trial Coronation Street stars Anne Kirkbride, Chris Gascoyne and Helen Worth are giving evidence at Preston Crown Court today Ms Kirkbride, who plays Deirdre Barlow, says on-screen husband is 'lovely' Insists she never saw him behave inappropriately towards young people Mr Gascoyne, Roache's on-screen son, says he is 'warm and professional' Co-star Ms Worth adds that the veteran actor is 'caring' and welcoming Studio floor manager tells court that ITV studio had very heavy security Roache, 81, is accused of two counts of rape and four of indecent assault Bill Roache was 'always a perfect gentleman' around his on-screen wife Anne Kirkbride during the filming of Coronation Street, a court heard today. The actress, who plays Deirdre Barlow, was called as a character witness for the veteran soap star in his sex abuse trial. Giving evidence at Preston Crown Court, Ms Kirkbride said that the one word she would use to describe Roache was 'lovely', adding that there was 'never a hint or suggestion' that he had behaved inappropriately on set. On the stand: Ms Kirkbride praised her co-star as she gave evidence, calling him a 'perfect gentleman' Fellow stars Chris Gascoyne, who plays the on-screen couple's son, and Helen Worth, who plays Gail Platt, also gave evidence in court today. Roache, 81, denies two counts of rape and four of indecent assault against five different girls aged 16 or below between 1965 and 1968. Trial: Bill Roache arriving at Preston Crown Court today as witnesses continue to give evidence On Monday he was cleared of one of the seven allegations against him when the judge ordered the jury to return a not guilty verdict on a single count of indecent assault. Ms Kirkbride, 59, said she had never seen anything worrying about Roache's behaviour with young women on set from when she joined the show as a teenager in 1972. Asked how she felt on her first day at Coronation Street, she said: 'I was terrified for my first day. Very nervous going. It was a completely new situation. I didn't know anybody. I very quickly got to know people and it became easier. When Louise Blackwell QC, defending, asked what she thought of Roache on meeting him, Ms Kirkbride said: 'He was friendly. I remember the first time I spoke to him was outside a lift and we had a really nice chat and he offered me a cigarette. We shared a lot of the same interests in spiritual things. I just found him very easy to talk to. She went on: 'He was always very helpful. Just very supportive and he made me feel comfortable and at ease in a place where I felt nervous. Ms Blackwell asked: 'Your contact with him in terms of a man and woman together, how did he behave?' Ms Kirkbride said: 'Impeccably. Perfectly. He was always a perfect gentleman. When the lawyer asked, 'When you first joined was there anything about his behaviour towards young women which was worrying?', she replied: 'Not at all. No, never. Colleagues: Anne Kirkbride, left, who plays Roache's wife in Coronation Street, and Helen Worth, right who plays Gail Platt, arriving at the court to testify in his defence Evidence: Ms Worth said the cast didn't socialise outside work as they spent so much time on set together Defence: Ms Kirkbride, left, in the witness box at Preston Crown Court giving evidence. She described Roache as 'lovely'. Ms Worth, right, told the court that Roache was 'caring' and welcomed new cast members Asked whether she had seen Roache 'in the company of young actors', Ms Kirkbride said: 'He has obviously been in the company of younger cast members on a work basis. We have had several young actresses play the part of our daughter. He has never been anything other than helpful and supportive. There was never a hint or suggestion of anything else in all the years that I have known him. She said her acting career had started in repertory theatre at the age of 16 and her original contract on Coronation Street was for 'three lines', but added that she 'quite quickly' became a main character. After giving evidence for around five minutes, Ms Kirkbride left the courtroom, smiling at Roache. Chris Gascoyne, 45, who has played Roache's on-screen son Peter Barlow since 2000, told the court: 'It's been a joy to be with Bill.' Witnesses: Location manager John Newman, left, and actor Chris Gascoyne, right, who plays Roache's son He said he had spent 'hundreds' of working days with the defendant, but 'always in the studios', adding: 'We don't really socialise, the odd occasion at functions or charity dos.' Asked to describe Roache's character, he said: 'Kind, warm, open, good sense of humour. Professional. Mr Gascoyne told jurors he would talk to Roache whenever he needed advice and said the veteran 'always had time' for him. Ms Blackwell asked: 'Have you ever seen him display an unpleasant side to his character?' The witness replied: 'No.' Mr Gascoyne added: 'Bill kind of sets the precedent for everybody, decent to everybody, kind to everybody and not a star. 'He's very calm, relaxed and you just get on with it and he takes every day as a new one, which is inspiring to me.' Ms Blackwell said: 'In terms of contact towards and with young women, how would you describe it?' He replied: 'Completely normal. Well, nothing untoward. Is there anything you have ever seen about his character that would give you cause for concern about his contact with young women? Miss Blackwell asked. 'No,' Mr Gascoyne replied. Leaving: Ms Kirkbride and Mr Gascoyne outside the court after giving evidence praising Roache's character Support: Former Coronation Street actor Kenneth Cope arrives with his wife Renny Lister, for the trial Helen Worth, who plays Gail Platt, told the court she joined the Coronation Street cast in 1974, at the age of 23. Asked if she had spent a lot of time with Roache during their four decades as colleagues, the 63-year-old said: 'Yes, in fact our dressing rooms are opposite each other in the corridors.' But she added that their interactions usually took place at work, adding: 'There was so much socialising on the set that there was not much time for socialising off set.' She said she was 'extremely nervous' when she joined the show, but was soon made to feel welcome by everyone. 'Bill perhaps was caring more and welcoming to me then,' she added. And has been to every new member of the cast since. He had been there longer than anyone else. We looked up to him. He was a father figure. An elder statesman. Ms Blackwell asked: 'During the time that you worked with him, how would you describe his character, particularly in reference to young women?' Family: Roache outside the court today with his sons James and Linus and his daughter Verity Ms Worth said: 'He was caring. Never anything more. Just caring. What more can a man be? He was lovely. The lawyer said: 'Did you see him in the company of young female cast members?' 'Yes, of course,' she replied. I never saw anything that was untoward whatsoever in 40 years. The next witness to be called was not from the acting world but had made contact with ITV and the defendant's lawyers to come forward to give evidence, the jury was told. Lucy Tucker, 55, told the court she met the defendant in the summer of 1972 at the home of a close friend of her grandmother's in Colwyn Bay where the defendant was playing croquet. That same evening Ms Tucker, then aged 13 or 14, said she attended a party at the same house accompanied by her uncle where she again met Roache and had a dance with him. How did you find Mr Roache? Louise Blackwell QC, defending, asked the witness. 'A gentleman, very pleasant,' Ms Tucker said. Miss Blackwell continued: 'How do you come to be giving this evidence before the jury?' The witness said: 'When I first heard about Bill Roache being charged last year my immediate reaction was, this is not Bill Roache, he's not like this. Every time it was on the news after this I remember thinking, how can I help him? I wrote to ITV saying Bill Roache is a gentleman and is not guilty of any of these charges and if necessary I would stand up in court in his defence. Anne Whyte, prosecuting, put it to the witness that she had met Roache only on one day and at a party with 'plenty' of people present at the home of a close family friend. 'So,' Miss Whyte continued, 'You were escorted by a relative, to a party, where Mr Roache did not sexually assault you. Have I got that right? 'That's correct,' Ms Tucker said. The court has heard that one complainant said she recalled seeing an actor, who played the character Jed Stone in the soap, near to a dressing room ahead of the alleged assault by Roache. Kenneth Cope, who played Jed Stone in the 1960s, said he had never seen two young girls in a dressing room with Roache, and neither had he been in a dressing room with the defendant. On the stand: Roache pictured giving evidence in court yesterday, when he vehemently denied the claims Three women have previously told the court that Roache molested them in the studio where Coronation Street was filmed, while another claims she was assaulted in his Rolls-Royce and one woman says he raped her at his home. ITV employee John Friend Newman today told the jury he had worked as a floor manager on Coronation Street since 1979. He said his role has been to control the studio, the filming, access and 'all aspects of discipline within the studio realms'. Members of the public were not allowed without permission inside the building in Quay Street, Manchester, he said. All visitors, including family members of the soap's cast, would have to ask floor managers if they could enter studio areas. People would be challenged on the corridors if not recognised, he added. Mr Friend Newman said: 'I have challenged the lord mayor of Manchester. I actually had him removed from the building. He said he had never encountered a guest pass system to get into the building. Mr Friend Newman said he had no connection with Granada Studios in the 1960s, the time of the alleged offences, and could not comment about access to the set around that time. Yesterday Roache, from Cheshire, categorically denied having committed any of the offences. He told the jury that he did not remember meeting any of the people who made allegations against him, and denied that he was a man 'willing to take sexual risks' during the 1960s. Roache admitted having cheated on his first wife Anna Cropper, but said he was 'not interested in gratuitous sex, and certainly not with underage people'. He told the court: 'I have no interest in people under age and I have no interest in imposing myself on people.' The trial was adjourned until tomorrow with the jury asked to return at 11.30am.