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EastEnders actor Shane Richie is facing a drink-driving charge following his arrest at a petrol station.
The soap star, who first appeared as Alfie Moon in 2002, was caught in a row with staff at a Tesco garage in Harlow, Essex, just after 11pm on Wednesday.
Richie (real name Shane Roche) had been driving his white Hyundai with what looked to be a flat tyre before the incident unfolded. The rest of the forecourt was empty at the time.
Footage obtained by The Sun showed the 62-year-old growing agitated after being warned he was not allowed to vape on the forecourt.
E-cigarette in hand, he told the employees, ‘I don’t give a f**k,’ explaining that it was ‘not smoking, it’s a vape’.
Noticing one of the workers was recording, he waved his hand, as if to usher them away, and said, ‘You, you.’
A male staff member then said: ‘I have to get it on video for the police. That is a vape, and that’s a risk in this petrol station.’
Snapping, the actor retorted: ‘What, you’re filming me? Alright, I’m going to film you.’
Having approached two other female workers outside the kiosk, Richie asked them to tell their colleagues to ‘go away’, but one of them informed him that she was the manager.
It’s claimed that the garage manager called the police on her mobile, telling them: ‘He started getting aggressive, and he started vaping, so smoking an electric cigarette.’
Leaning on his car, allegedly waiting for someone to come and ‘change [his] tyre’, Richie shouted back: ‘Not smoking a cigarette.’
Upon their arrival, officers had Richie pointed out to them. Upon approaching him, one was heard saying: ‘These guys have said you might have been drinking and that you’ve driven this vehicle in here.’
This is where The Sun’s footage cuts off, and Richie is seen walking towards the police car, where he was subsequently arrested for drink driving.
He is reportedly due in court next month.
A source told the publication in the aftermath that it’s ‘extraordinary he behaved like that’.
‘It was stupid, and he was also being quite argumentative with staff,’ they added.
‘They didn’t know who he was at first. It was only after the police came that they realised.’
Essex Police confirmed in a statement: ‘Officers were called to reports of a suspected drink driver in Church Langley Way, Harlow, shortly before 11.20pm on Wednesday, July 29.
‘On arrival, officers arrested a man. A charge of drink-driving has subsequently been authorised against Shane Roche, 62, of Surrey.
‘He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, September 9.’
Richie’s arrest comes after news that he will be taking a break from EastEnders, along with co-star Jessie Wallace (Kat Slater).
On the feisty on-screen couple stepping back from Albert Square, a source said they will be pursuing other projects.
For Wallace, 54, who debuted as Kat in 2000, this means a pantomime appearance, as she plays Captain Hook at the New Wimbledon Theatre’s panto production of Peter Pan.
Similarly, Richie will play Muddles in the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea.
Richie is already a panto regular and has a string of other TV appearances under his belt, since he’s dipped in and out of playing Alfie for the past two decades.
For example, in 2020, he finished fourth on I’m A Celebrity.
Richie also recently announced new tour dates for his Prat Pack shows, a group in which he performs with Bradley Walsh, Joe Pasquale, and Brian Conley.
One of their gigs is scheduled for September 9 in Sheffield, which is when Richie’s court appearance also takes place.
Reps for Shane Richie have been contacted for comment.
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