CORRIE'S CHESNEY GETS LES FOR A DAD; Street chiefs hand kid star a long-term future.

Byline: By Brian Roberts 

CHEEKY Chesney Brown has been handed a long-term future in Coronation Street.

Street bosses plan to make the character a permanent fixture as the cute ginger-haired kid is officially adopted by Les Battersby, played by Bruce Jones.

Child actor Sam Aston, 12, is one of the viewers' favourites after his heart-tugging performances.

Sam has won critical acclaim since arriving in Weatherfield with mum Cilla, played byWendi Peters.

Playing downtrodden Chesney has also won him a best young actor gong and a best dramatic performance trophy for a soap newcomer.

His latest scenes will call on Sam's very best acting skills. Bosses will guarantee tears flowing up and down the country as the emotional adoption unfolds.

A source said: "In true Corrie style, the adoption process doesn't run smoothly and viewers will experience several emotional highs and lows on the run up to the big day.

"During his short life, Chesney has been pulled from pillar to post by his gold-digging mother Cilla.

"Cilla has had several boyfriends that Chesney has called 'uncle'.

"But none of them has ever stayed the course until Cilla got together with Les.

"Les and Chesney think the world of each other and Chesney is thrilled at the prospect of calling Les 'dad' instead of 'Uncle Les'.

"But although normally stonehearted Cilla is left nonplussed by events, it will be her touching intervention with the social worker in charge of the case that wins the day."

Street fans could be forgiven for thinking that they have seen the social worker that holds Chesney's fate in her hands before.

Actress Elizabeth Rider, who plays the part of Genna, appeared in the soap in 1999.

For three months, she played the part of Kathleen Gutteridge the real mother of Ashley Peacock and the ex-partner of Ashley's dad butcher Fred Elliott.

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STREET KID: Chesney and Les Battersby are a big hit with soap fans