A Bradford couple who run their own Rovers Return pub in Florida got the surprise of their lives when one of the Coronation Street stars dropped in.

Paul and Linda Unwin manage the homage to the ITV soap in the sun-soaked holiday resort of Kissimee, near Orlando.

And they were stunned when actor Bruce Jones, who plays the overbearing Les Battersby, walked into their bar.

The Unwins' British bar has 60 cast shots of their favourite soap opera and proves a real tourist draw.

Linda, 50, said: "I was upstairs when Les came in with his family. Paul rang upstairs and said: 'You'll never believe who's just walked. It's the Battersbys'.

"I thought he had a real family from hell in the bar and wasn't going to go down. Then he said: 'It's the actor who plays Les Battersby.' So I raced down."

The actor was on holiday with his wife and family and grandchildren and made the Unwins' bar one of his regular haunts.

He even took a hand behind the bar to pose for photos.

Linda and Paul ran the Queen pub in Bradford city centre, until they moved to Florida nine years ago.

Linda said Bruce was not a bit like his telly character.

He posed for photos with their 14-year-old son Luke who attended St Mary's RC school before moving abroad.

"Bruce was lively but he wasn't a loudmouth," she said. " He was lovely."

The Unwins fell in love with Florida during a holiday and dreamed of running a bar there. They eventually found the bar and it has become a Mecca for soap fans.

Linda keeps up with events on the Street via the website but is six months' behind in the US's four-times-a-week episodes.

Linda is also glued to the nasty Richard storyline via the net.

"For me Coronation Street will always have the edge over EastEnders because it has a strong vein of northern humour in it.

"That's what I miss most over here. I really miss Yorkshire and Yorkshire people. They're the best and I always love to natter to them when they come in here."

Linda and Paul love the sun over there but may come home soon as they miss family in Bradford and Halifax.

She added: "I keep in touch once a week and try to get back once a year but I do miss them terribly. That might, in the end, bring us back to Yorkshire."