Michelle Collins tells of tube terror

Actress Michelle Collins has told of her terror after thugs hurled vile abuse at her during a recent ride on the London Underground.

The Coronation Street star was travelling from Highgate to the West End to attend her co-star Charlie Condou's birthday party last Saturday when a gang of yobs boarded the tube and immediately spotted the blonde.

Collins asked the teens to leave her alone, but they lashed out at her and branded her a string of disgusting names.

She tells The Sun, "Suddenly I heard this ear-splitting shouting and swearing as the gang got on the train. They were really drunk and carrying bottles of wine and beer, and talking about going to get drugs.

"I kept my head down but saw one of the gang fall onto a girl passenger sitting near me. They thought it was hysterical.

"Then one of the girls noticed me. She shouted, 'It's that bird Stella from the telly!' I politely asked them to leave me alone but they started abusing me, saying, 'Are you too f**king good to talk to us? You think you're some kind of f**king A-lister, but Corrie is s**t and you're s**t in it.' They were scary because they were unpredictable, and they were spoiling for a fight. It was all I could do not to cry."

The actress admits the incident left her shaken, adding, "They were like a pack of wolves. I felt so scared and vulnerable. Some of them looked as young as 15 but they were screaming abuse at me, calling me a f**king whore, a s**g and a b**ch.

"There was one ringleader, a girl, who was leading the pack while the others just watched laughing.

"They were off their heads - I could smell the booze coming off them. My heart was pounding. I just kept thinking, 'This is turning really nasty.' They could have had knives - and they were hammered.

"I got off the train as soon as I could but they followed me until I lost them in the crowd."

Collins has also taken aim at fellow passengers for not coming to her aid.

She says, "I felt threatened. In a packed carriage, not one person said, 'Leave her alone.' I would always stick up for someone who was being unfairly treated. It's a terrible reflection on our society that people are too scared to do the same."