Coronation Street's Marc Anwar sacked over 'racially offensive' tweets

ITV said Marc Anwar would not be returning to the show "with immediate effect"

Coronation Street actor Marc Anwar has been sacked for allegedly posting tweets about Indians which ITV said were "racially offensive".

ITV said on Sunday that the Pakistan-born actor, 45, who joined the soap as Sharif Nazir in February 2014, would not be returning to the show.

Screenshots of messages posted on his private Twitter account appear to hit out at Indians over Kashmir.

They include offensive language used to refer to Indian people.

'Deeply shocked'

The screenshots, posted first by the Sunday Mirror, also call for Pakistani actors to stop working in the country.

The alleged comments come after the Indian army said it killed a militant in a gunfight in the disputed region of Kashmir, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan.

Mr Anwar's character had been a member of the first Muslim family on the street.

In a statement, ITV said: "We are deeply shocked by the entirely unacceptable, racially offensive comments made on Twitter by Marc Anwar.

"We have talked to Marc and, as a consequence of his comments, he will not be returning to Coronation Street with immediate effect."

ITV confirmed that pre-filmed episodes with the actor, who has also appeared in Hollywood films such as Captain Phillips and The 51st State, will still air but his presence in the show will be minimised until his character can be written out.