Coronation Street actor Marc Anwar facing police investigation for racist tweets

Marc Anwar

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Marc Anwar, 45, who plays Sharif Nazir in Coronation Street, is facing a police investigation after he posted a diatribe of racist tweets.

Mr Anwar, of Rochdale, posted the tweets on Friday 23 September, referring to Indians as killers and commenting that Pakistanis should refuse to work in their country. He also referred to Indians as ‘b*******’ and ‘p*** drinking c****’.

The offensive messages were posted days after 17 soldiers were killed at a Kashmir airbase.

ITV bosses immediately fired the actor, who joined the soap in February 2014. His character is still likely to appear in episodes leading up to the Christmas period.

Greater Manchester Police is investigating after receiving reports of a hate crime on Sunday 25 September.

Mr Anwar has since deleted the tweets and voiced an apology on YouTube: "On Friday 23 September 2016 I posted a number of tweets which have been misconstrued and made out as an attack on the people of India. Whilst my language was totally unacceptable my frustration was vented at the governments of the two countries and their hypocrisy. My absolute sympathies lie with all those suffering in areas of conflict. In this particular instance especially of those of Indian occupied Kashmir."