Coronation Street star Ryan Prescott has been spotted with prosthetic facial injures for the first time amid filming his character's acid attack storyline.
The 34-year-old actor was snapped with the injuries on Sunday as he shot scenes for the ITV soap which saw his character Ryan Connor arriving at court for the trial of his attacker Justin (Andrew Still).
Coronation street's harrowing storyline began at the end of last month when Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) was getting ready for her wedding day at The Rovers Return.
Her Stalker Justin Rutherford (Andrew Still) showed up in Weatherfield following his arrest carrying a glass full of clear liquid to confront Daisy.
He turns up in the Rovers just as Daisy prepares to leave for the wedding with Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) as chauffeur. As Justin advances on Daisy and throws the acid at her, he misses his target and Ryan is hit.
Ofcom received 72 complaints related to the scenes depicting the acid attack.
In the new images of actor Ryan filming over the weekend, the 34-year-old can be seen in character arriving at court with significant facial scarring on his left cheek and what appeared to be a skin graft on his neck.
Charlotte, who plays Daisy - the intended victim of Justin's attack - was also on set on Sunday.
Speaking about the storyline last month, the actress admitted the plot took her by surprise.
She said: ""When I was first told about this storyline, I really didn’t see this coming. It’s not something you see a lot on television so I was really surprised.
"There is a fear lurking in the back of Daisy’s mind since Justin was released on bail. She has always been thinking, 'Will Justin retaliate in some way?'
"Seeing him again after he has been warned multiple times by officials to stay away from her, she is certainly scared of how he is going to react. I don’t think Daisy really thought about how obsessed Justin was going to become."
Producer Iain MacLeod said: "We were keen to show the long-term reality for people subjected to this kind of attack.
"The story will, at times, be heartbreaking, but we felt it was an important one to tell."
Some Corrie fans feel the recent scenes on the ITV soap have been "too dark", with one tweeting: "Just watched the acid attack on #Corrie. Very chilling. To be honest, I don’t know why soaps have to go that dark."
However, many disagree, with one writing: "I can’t believe people are complaining about the acid attack in Mondays #Corrie I’m not sure these people ever leave their homes or listen to the news. These acid attacks are sadly common and it needed showing and the affect this crime has on the victim."
Another added: "#Corrie has raised awareness of stalkers, attacks, acid attacks, the police not having a good enough system in place for stalking/harassment, raised alarm bells for hospitals /GP’s saying people’s names/details aloud in a room full of strangers. They’ve honestly done so well. "
Last month it was revealed the ITV soap has been working with acid attack survivor Katie Piper.
The Katie Piper Foundation has supported the show to understand the "long-lasting impact" of an acid attack ahead of the topic being explored in upcoming episodes.
Ahead of an episode related to the storyline airing, Sarah Green, chief executive of the foundation set up by Loose Women star Katie after she was the victim of an acid attack in 2008, said: "We were happy to support the team at Coronation Street to understand both the initial and long-lasting impact of an attack.
"Coronation Street have shown determination in their research to portray the reality of such attacks."
Jaf Shah, executive director of Acid Survivors Trust International, added: "Coronation Street is to be commended for confronting this particularly brutal form of violence."
