Toxic Tracy's trial: filming begins

Toxic Tracy's trial: filming begins (Image credit: EMPICS)

Stars of Coronation Street crossed The Pennines today to begin filming the latest courtroom drama to hit the soap. A cold but sunny Bradford stood in for Weatherfield as the cameras rolled for Tracy Barlow's murder trial. Tracy (played by Kate Ford) was joined by screen dad and Street veteran Ken Barlow (William Roache), mum Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) and scheming youngster David Platt (Jack Shepherd) for a photocall outside the make-shift Weatherfield Courts of Justice. The court is being recreated inside Bradford's Victorian city hall where a traditional, oak-panelled courtroom has been preserved intact but unused. Tracy is on trial for the murder of boyfriend Charlie Stubbs in the ITV1 soap. The trial comes nine years after mum Deirdre was sent to prison for fraud sparking a national campaign to 'free the Weatherfield one' which even included Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Coronation Street team are in West Yorkshire for eight days filming although the episodes will not be aired until the end of March. Two endings to the trial are being filmed. One will see Tracy being jailed for life and other will see her fleeing Weatherfield without her daughter, Amy. Producers said today either ending will see 'Kate Ford leave the Street in a spectacular finale to her five-year stint on the show.' Viewers will begin to see the trial unfold from March 26 and the verdict will be shown on April 2.