CORONATION Street's latest cast member is a Bolton-born starlet whose obvious charms have already won her a legion of fans.

Scarlet, an 18-month-old Border Terrier, made her screen debut just over a week ago, as the latest addition to the Barlow household.

Owner Ian Hardman, aged 50, a retired firefighter from Hall ith Wood, says she's already got the crew and cast at her beck and call and has even been recognised while being taken for a walk.

Mr Hardman said: "Scarlet plays Eccles and moves in with the Barlows after she's left to Blanche in a will.

"I breed show dogs and I was contacted by firm called EB Dogs in Action who were looking for a small dog to appear in the show.

"It had to have a beard and a good temperament and Scarlet just fitted the bill. "She's very popular on set and Anne Kirkbride who plays Deirdre absolutely adores her.

"It's her first TV role but she did win reserved best bitch at the Belfast Championship Show in September and she's only been beaten in show three times in the past 12 months.

"I think she likes the attention - whenever she's on set her tail goes up."

Mr Hardman would not be drawn on Scarlet's star salary but did admit: "It's enough to keep her in dog food for quite some time."

He said her most difficult scene so far involved some sausage meat and Ken Barlow's wallet.

Mr Hardman said: "In one scene we had to get her to chew up Ken Barlow's wallet.

"She's very well behaved normally so we spent a bit of time scratching our heads wondering how we could get her to do it.

"In the end we put the wallet in a bag of cooked sausage meat for four days.

"It worked like a dream and she went at it like her life depended on it."

And Scarlet's not the only member of the family to be getting the star treatment. Mum Marina has got in on the act, too, and occasionally acts as her double on set.

But Mr Hardman, who has bred and shown dogs for the past 20 years, said he was determined to make sure fame did not go to her head.

He said: "We've got 18 dogs at home and we treat them all equally.

"The funny thing is, she's started to get recognised in the street.

"One person even stopped me when we were out for a walk and asked me if was I worried about her when she was living with the Barlows."