The Paul Foreman actor also revealed the poignant leaving gift from his ITV soap co-stars

Coronation Street star Peter Ash has shared an important message with fans while also giving a glimpse at a poignant leaving gift from his co-stars as his final scenes aired.

There were heart-wrenching scenes in the ITV soap on Monday night (September 9) as Paul Foreman, played by Peter, died following the diagnosis of the life-limiting illness, that affects more than 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time and for which there is currently no cure.

In the episode, Paul’s health took a sudden turn for the worse and he was rushed to hospital as he struggled to breathe. Later, after doctors informed his family there was nothing more they could do but make him comfortable, Paul took his last breath.

But in a heartbreaking twist, Billy was unable to say goodbye after a series of events, that started with him looking for his lost phone, delayed his efforts to get there.

It was Bernie, Gemma and Summer who were all by Paul’s side and during Paul’s final moments, they tried to get Billy, who was running to the hospital after getting trapped in traffic in Frescho’s car park, on the phone, with him believing he had spoken to Paul. However, Paul had already passed.

Now, in a heartfelt Instagram post, Peter spoke to his fans and followers and encouraged them to support those affected by MND in real life. He wrote to his fans and followers: “Thank you so much for all your comments and messages regarding tonight’s episode.

“Paul’s story is over. However, many people are currently living their own MND story. Please consider supporting the MND community in any way you can.”

Alongside the message he also shared a snap of his final script, which ended with the instruction: “Billy flying down the corridor and into Paul’s room where the doctor is pronouncing Paul’s death. Billy screams out in anguish, realising he’s too late. He goes over to Paul and strokes his lifeless face, sobbing uncontrollably as Bernie, Summer and Gemma struggle to process what’s just happened. Their beloved Paul is gone.”

In a follow-up post, Peter shared a photo of one of the gifts he received from his beloved co-stars as he bowed out of the ITV soap after six years. A white frame had been filled with a special piece of artwork from artist Justin Eagleton.

It featured pictures from throughout Peter’s time on Corrie mixed in with some well-known street signs including Rosamund Street and the Mancunian Way.

Alongside the post, he wrote: “Just have to share my incredible leaving gift from the team at #Corrie. Photos were lovingly provided by the amazing @jane_hazlegrove, and the piece was created by the talented artist @justin_eagleton. I will treasure this forever #CoronationStreet #PaulForeman.”

Then, as the dust settled on his heartbreaking exit, Peter returned to Instagram on Tuesday morning (September 10) with a string of pictures showing different moments throughout his time on the famous cobbles. “Thanks for the memories, Corrie!” he simply captioned the post.