Coronation Street stars invited to Commons by Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle

Chorley MP and Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle has invited stars of Coronation Street and Emmerdale to the House of Commons to celebrate more than 11 decades of continuing drama from the north.

Coronation Street will celebrate its 63rd birthday on 9 December, and Emmerdale marked its half century in October.

Sir Linsday said he was "beyond proud" that two of Britain's most well-known institutions "were exports from the North".

During the reception at Speaker's House, Sir Lindsay met 37 actors from the two soaps, including Coronation Street's William Roache, who portrays Ken Barlow, Dame Maureen Lipman, who plays Tyrone Dobbs' grandmother Evelyn Plummer.

Earlier, he hosted an afternoon tea with guests including Sally Ann Matthews who plays Jenny Bradley on the cobbles,

The Speaker also rubbed shoulders with Chris Bisson who has appeared in both soaps, but is currently in Emmerdale as Jai Sharma.

Sir Lindsay said "Coronation Street and Emmerdale are two of the best-loved, hard-hitting dramas in the UK, if not the world, and their storytelling really touches on important social issues that affect us all.

"The fact that both programmes have been mentioned more than 320 times during debates across Parliament just goes to show how important they are to the fabric of our society and the economic contribution they bring to the North."

John Whiston, MD Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North, said it was "an honour' to be invited to Speaker's House "to celebrate a little bit of TV history".

'It is hugely important to everybody on Emmerdale and Coronation Street that we tell stories that don't just entertain, but sometimes also inform and make change,' he said.

"Being recognised by Mr Speaker for that, and for over 100 years of TV from the North, has made this a very special evening for everybody concerned."

Last year the Speaker brought his counterpart, Nancy Pelosi - Speaker of the US House of Representatives - to the Rovers Return pub on the Coronation Street set in Salford during the G7 Speakers' Conference.

He told the Commons' reception that he also hopes to drop in on Emmerdale's Woolpack Inn, quipping: "Who knows who I might bring as part of that visit!"