EastEnders star Shane Richie has been charged with drink-driving after being arrested at a petrol station in Essex, where he was filmed refusing to stop vaping. The 62-year-old, whose real name is Shane Roche, had parked his white Hyundai at a Tesco petrol station in Harlow on Wednesday 29 July when staff began recording him.
Petrol stations commonly ask customers not to use vapes on the forecourt because of the proximity to flammable fuel. Richie, who plays Alfie Moon in the BBC soap, was seen brandishing the device while insisting: "It's not smoking." When an employee told him the vape "is a risk", he responded: "I don't give a f***." He later added: "This is not a vape."
Manager called police
The petrol station manager phoned police, telling the call handler that Richie was being "aggressive" and "smoking" in the forecourt. In the video, the actor can be heard telling the man filming: "Someone's coming to change my tyre."
Essex Police officers then arrived and arrested him. He was later charged with drink-driving and is due to appear in court next month.
A spokesman for Essex Police told Metro: "Officers were called to reports of a suspected drink driver in the area of Church Langley Way, Harlow, shortly before 11.20pm on Wednesday 29 July. On arrival, officers arrested a man. A charge of drink driving has subsequently been authorised against Shane Roche, 62, of Tadworth, Surrey. He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, September 9."
Concerns over his future on EastEnders
The footage comes after a report suggested that those close to Richie believe he could be let go from the soap. A source told The Sun: "This has been a long time coming. Shane has been struggling to keep up with the demands of his workload and it appears it has all got a bit much. Everyone is so concerned about him."
The source added that since his character Alfie took over as landlord of the Queen Vic, he has been filming all the time because he is at the centre of the show, describing the schedule as "gruelling". The source also stated that the BBC "won't take the incident lightly", suggesting a possible suspension. The BBC declined to comment.
Metro has contacted Shane Richie's representatives for comment.
