'Coronation Street's' Roy Cropper secretly suffers from Asperger's Syndrome.

David Nielson, who plays the lovable soap eccentric, said he makes Roy autistic and thus socially awkward on purpose, but has always kept it a secret.

David - who has portrayed Roy since his introduction in 1995 - said: "It's never mentioned in the story and it shouldn't be - Roy is a human being, and a label doesn't help him.

"But I think he's got it. It gives him reasons for his behaviour and gives me something to play. I enjoy idiosyncrasies in people and Roy is full of them."

He also said he got the idea to make his character awkward - rather than "a bit scary" as he appeared when first introduced - from his wife.

David, 60, said: "Roy was a psychopath. He was stalking Deirdre Rashid and was a bit scary. It's nice to play psychos but they don't stay around too long.

"My wife is a special needs teacher and she worked with people with autism. She said Roy could have Asperger's syndrome, making him socially inept, rather than menacing.

"Nobody really knew what Asperger's was back in 1995, so it's my wife I owe it to."