Prosecutor: No star witch-hunt

Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC has told ITV News the Michael Le Vell case was "based on a realistic prospect of a conviction".

Former Coronation Street actor Kevin Kennedy told This Morning he was "delighted" that Michael Le Vell had been cleared of child sex charges, but stressed, "This whole thing is a tragedy."

"There are no winners in this," Kennedy, who played Curly Watts in the soap, said. "Yes, Michael got his freedom and I'm very pleased about that, but no one benefits from this - I think it should never have got to this stage in the first place."

When asked what the trial has done to his friend, Kennedy said: "I think the damage is immeasurable, and it's going to take time... Once he's got over the elation of his liberty given back to him, there's going to be a time where he's going to sit down and he's going to have to heal."

Watch the full interview on This Morning's website here

A top prosecutor has denied there is a "celebrity witch-hunt" in the wake of the acquittal of Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell on child sex abuse charges.

Nazir Afzal, the Crown Prosecution Service national lead on child sexual exploitation, said "nobody should be above the law" and it that is the Crown's job to look at evidence, follow it wherever it may go and then present it.

Speaking at a child sexual exploitation conference in Blackburn, Mr Afzal stressed that each case was assessed on its own merits, regardless of whether a suspect had a high public profile.

Daybreak's entertainment editor Richard Arnold said, "It says all you need to know" about the support offered to Michael Le Vell by Coronation Street's cast and bosses that a statement has already been released discussing his future on the show.

"He's very much part of that company of players on the Street - it's them against the world," Arnold said. "It's no wonder that they've rallied around him while this has all been going on."

Former Coronation Street actor Bruce Jones said he was "absolutely over the moon" that Michael Le Vell had walked away from court a free man.

Jones, who played Les Battersby for 10 years on the show, told Daybreak, "I never believed this in the first place."

Asked what advice he would give his friend now, Jones said: "I think a holiday is the right thing - go away now, sit down and think ... then go and speak to ITV, Granada, and get your life back on track now Michael.

"We want to see you back in Coronation Street as Kevin again."

Michael Le Vell celebrated with a drink shortly after he was cleared by a jury of 12 sex abuse charges.

Michael Le Vell thanked the jury and raised his hand to them before he walked free from court a free man.

The Coronation Street actor was cleared of 12 sex abuse charges by a jury at Manchester Crown Court.

Former Coronation Street star Nigel Pivaro said his close friend Michael Le Vell was "well" after he left the courtroom.

He said: "We grabbed a moment. We didn't say much, we just hugged. He's well, he was actually calmer than probably everyone else around him."