The Mirror reports that 'hundreds of horrified parents' have complained about a Coronation Street episode which showed a child being smacked.

Viewers saw builder Owen Armstrong slapping his girlfriend's 10-year-old adopted daughter Faye's legs.

Both ITV and media regulator Ofcom confirmed they had received complaints about Monday night's episode.

The Mirror cited a few forum postings and tweets to justify its line: 'hundreds of horrified parents'

Actor Ian Puleston said scriptwriters had treated the storyline cautiously:

From the moment it was suggested, they took it very carefully and slowly, so it took a long time to reach the script stage, and rightly so. I'm happy with the finished result.

An ITV spokeswoman said:

We most certainly don't condone Owen's actions -- as will be seen by the ramifications of the slap, and the effect it has on his relationship.