British television actor William Roache, the world's longest-serving soap opera star, has denied sexually assaulting young girls in toilets at his studios as he began giving evidence in his trial.
The 81-year-old, who has played Ken Barlow in Coronation Street since the first episode in 1960, denies two counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault.
Appearing at Preston Crown Court in northwest England on Tuesday, he dismissed claims that during the 1960s he invited two "star-struck" girls in their early teens into the television studios and assaulted them in the toilets.
Roache said strangers were not allowed into the Manchester studios due to high security on set.
"So many big productions happened, including ours, that security was very strict and people were not allowed in," Roache said.
The studio toilets were "in constant use", he added.
Prosecutors told an earlier hearing that in 1965, a 14-year-old girl visiting the studio was led to a toilet where Roache made her commit a sex act on him, while another alleged victim was fondled in a toilet in an "unceremonious sexual act".
But Roache said he did not recall any studio visits by the two girls, adding: "It would be so unusual, I would have remembered it."
The charges against Roache involve five women who were aged 16 or under - 16 being the age of sexual consent in Britain - at the time of the alleged offences, which are said to have happened between 1965 and 1971.
One woman accuses Roache of raping her twice.
Asked by a prosecutor if he remembered meeting any of his alleged victims, Roache replied: "No, not one of them."
He also told the court he had never had a sexual interest in underage girls.
Jurors were instructed on Monday to find Roache not guilty on a fifth indecent assault charge because the alleged victim had no recollection of the incident alleged.
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