Emmerdale star takes ‘leave’ to fight rape charge

TV star Ben Freeman will be rested from his role in Emmerdale after he was charged with raping a woman while on holiday in Barbados, a spokeswoman for the soap said yesterday.

The 26-year-old, who plays Scott Windsor in the ITV1 show, was arrested and charged with the rape of a 16-year-old British woman by police on the Caribbean island, on November 29.

An Emmerdale spokeswoman said Freeman, who returned to the UK on bail of £25,000, had asked for a leave of absence to fight the charge.