[Scarlett.]

It sounds like a storyline from Coronation Street, but this is real.

The wife of former "Coronation Street" star Ken Morley was tied up by robbers during a burglary at their home, police said on Sunday.
Three men, wearing balaclavas and dark clothing, forced their way into the couple's home in Clayton-le-Woods in Lancashire on Friday evening.

Morley, 64, who became famous for his role as bumbling shop manager Reg Holdsworth in the long-running soap, was not home at the time, but the robbers bound his wife Susan's wrists and ankles using cable ties.

They demanded money, jewellery and the whereabouts of the safe before locking her in a room and searching the house. Police said the men, who were described as in their 30s with Irish accents, escaped with some jewellery.

Susan Morley told the People newspaper that the men had said they would torture her and her pet dogs.

"I was threatened with a crowbar and it was horrendous -- utterly and totally horrendous," she said. "They threatened to kill me and were shouting in my face."

She later managed to loosen the ties and went to a neighbour's house to raise the alarm.

Ken Morley, who has also starred in the comedy "'Allo 'Allo" and the sitcom "Hardware", said it was the second time their home had been raided in recent years.

"It is a sign of the times that a woman is no longer safe, even in her own home," he told the People. "It's like an epidemic of crime is sweeping the country and there is just no deterrent."

Police said the robbery might be linked to a similar burglary in the county last month.

"This address has not been specifically targeted because it is the home of Mr and Mrs Morley," said Detective Inspector Neil Haworth.