Bill Webster axed from Coronation Street

Peter Armitage, who plays Bill Webster in Corrie, has been axed, says the News of the World. The paper says that Corrie producer Phil Collinson sees no future for the character and he's getting rid of him.

A Corrie source told the paper: "Collinson told him that there was no future for him playing Kevin Webster's dad and that the day's scenes would be his last. Peter returned to the green room to tell cast and crew, `Well that's me... I'm finished.' And when he returned next day to clear his dressing room he found his name plate had already been removed from the door. The cast and crew were shocked as Peter is a popular guy. But that was it."

I know that Bill hasn't been much used in Corrie for a while, but he's always been a good, solid character that I'll be sad to see leave.  And speaking of good, solid characters, why isn't Gail's dad, Ted Page, returning?