CORONATION Street star Louis Emerick Grant is now working in a charity shop as he carries out his community service after he ran over two schoolgirls in a horrific accident.

The actor – who played Mike Thornberry on the ITV soap –  was spared jail after he admitted causing serious injury.

Louis, 63, was handed a 26 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and an 18 month driving ban.

He was also ordered to pay costs totalling £274 and carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

Louis – who also starred in Brookside as Mick Johnson – took to social media to beg his followers to support the shop.

He posted a picture of him wearing a purple volunteer lanyard and holding a book for sale,

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The soap star shared the photo on his X account, formerly known as Twitter, writing: “I may have a story to tell about this… very soon.”

Last week he took to social media and told followers: “I do a couple days per week at Scope, it’s opened my eyes to what a fab job they and other charity shops do!

"Fab staff, Mathew, Andreà, Gayle, showing me the ropes.

"Drop in say hi and spend money, of course, great bargains to be had.”

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The 12-year-old girls were crossing the road in Wallasey, Merseyside, when Louis ploughed into them.

One suffered a broken leg in the crash while the other was left with a fractured leg and ankle, a broken jaw and teeth.

Wirral Magistrates' Court heard how the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, both suffered "life changing injuries" after Johnson ran them over last year.

Speaking after the hearing, Louis told of his relief that the girls survived the smash.

He said: "God must have been looking over us that day."

Asked how would have felt if the girls had not recovered from their injuries, he said: "God knows my life would have been over. I would have been destroyed."

Louis said after his sentencing the incident had been “horrific” as he expressed his remorse.

He added: "I don’t know how I could have lived with myself if one of them had died.”

The court heard Grant was not speeding and did not test positive for drink and drugs.

He said: "I think the sun was in my eyes and that was it. I called 999."

The actor described how he had been in regular touch with both families after the crash.

He said: "I organised a trip to the panto for one of the girls and her family. The other girl could not make it so that was fine. The families have been fine with me."

Wirral Magistrates' Court was told by the mum of the older girl that she still has nightmares following the crash.

She said that signing a consent form for her daughter’s leg to be amputated if necessary “was one of the hardest things I have ever done".

The mum added: "The last eight months have been horrendous.”

The girls had been crossing the road to go to the shop on October 2 when the horror unfolded.

The court was told both girls were unable to return to school for several months and will need to undergo further surgery for their injuries.

Grant was breathalysed at the scene but there was no evidence he had taken drink or drugs or that he was using his phone at the time of the crash.

The actor was not seen slowing down or braking on the approach to the bend and later blamed the sun for obscuring his vision.

Louis played cabbie Mick on Brookside from 1989 to 2001.

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He also had roles in Casualty, Last of the Summer wine and Coronation Street, where he played Mike Thornberry.

The star recently appeared in Netflix's mini-series Cleopatra

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