Corrie's Thomas arrested after row with O'Brien

Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas was arrested and held by police for almost eight hours following a row with ex-girlfriend Tina O'Brien.

Thomas - who plays Jason Grimshaw in the soap - was detained and questioned following reports of an assault on Friday evening. He was released without charge in the early hours of Saturday morning.

According to the Sunday Mirror O'Brien - his former co-star in the soap and mother of their daughter Scarlett - called police to the home they used to share in Cheadle Hume, Manchester, after the row escalated.

The actress was reportedly there to collect 14-month-old Scarlett from the house, where Thomas still lives. She moved out last month after they split up.

"Tina arrived at his house with Scarlett," a friend of Thomas told the Sunday Mirror.

"Something kicked off and they were arguing for at least an hour. It was quite explosive. I think Tina was a bit scared and rang police. They turned up pretty quickly, ­arrested Ryan and took him to Cheadle police station.

"The police eventually let him go because they were satisfied he hadn't touched her," the source added. "Ryan has been ­really down, ­missing Tina like mad. He seems a shell of the happy-go-lucky bloke he was."

Yesterday Thomas said in a statement, "I have not assaulted and would neverassault Tina. The police were satisfied this was the case and I was released without any action being taken."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said their inquiries were "on-going".