Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman will leave the soap while fighting a rape charge in Barbados.

Ben was arrested at the end of last month for the rape of a 16 year old girl while on holiday in the Caribbean and initially had his passport seized, restricting him to the island. His bail was later raised to £25,000 and he was given permission to return to the UK for work.

A spokesperson for the show has now said: “Ben Freeman asked for leave of absence to enable him to fight legal proceedings. At Ben’s request, he will stand down from all other engagements including Soapstar Superstar.”

Ben is required to appear in court in the country’s capital Bridgetown on 15th March next year for a preliminary hearing.