Fans of Coronation Street will of course recall the harrowing rape storyline which saw Carla Connor (Alison King) sexually assaulted by her former fiancé Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel).

Many viewers complained that the plotline was too graphic to be depicted on the pre-watershed soap, however, it’s been revealed today that the storyline “helped put a child sex attacker behind bars”.

What’s On TV report that Daniel Bird, who’s 24 and a former resident of Sale, Greater Manchester, was found guilty of four counts of rape and was jailed for four years at Manchester Crown Court yesterday, and during the trial, it became apparent that his victim came forward having been “inspired” to do so by the plotline.

The court heard the unnamed victim say, “I just decided to tell somebody and get it off my chest.

“It had been on my mind all those years and finally I had the courage to tell someone. The emotions that Carla was going through reminded me of how I felt…

“When I saw that people supported her and that people believed in her, I felt that might happen to me as well.

“Coronation Street did a good thing with this storyline. If they hadn’t done that story, I might never have come forward with this. It’s encouraged me and it’s helped me.”

In response, a spokeswoman for Coronation Street said, “Having worked closely with the St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester on this storyline, we are pleased that the portrayal and subsequent aftermath of Carla’s rape on Coronation Street has helped this victim to seek the appropriate help and guidance needed.

“We never seek to highlight an issue – just tell the best story for every character.

“When we do touch on issues, we obviously strive to make sure our research is flawless and the depiction an accurate and truthful one.”

Here’s a reminder of the scenes which intimated at the attack…