A FORMER television soap star is under investigation by police and trading standards officers after allegedly conning dozens of would-be models.

An aspiring model said actor Phil Foster, who played Christian Wright on Brookside, promised her modelling work and contracts, but she was never given any.

Charlene Newman also said she was left standing in a hotel corridor wearing only a bikini at an unofficial fashion show organised by Mr Foster last month.

Now, a nationwide alert has been issued about Mr Foster by police and trading standards officers who are investigating.

Ms Newman, from Sunderland, said she was one of many girls who answered an advertisement in her local newspaper in the hope of realising her dream of becoming a model.

After an audition, she was contacted by Mr Foster and asked for £99 in return for her picture being posted on his website.

She was later told she had been selected to take part in a Miss North of England competition, which ended up in chaos.

Hundreds of people, all of whom were charged a £10 entry fee, attended what they thought was the first heat of the competition at the Novotel in Bradford, West Yorkshire, last month.

The 22-year-old beauty therapist said: "He said there were going to be scouts from all the major agencies there, but there appeared to be nothing of the sort.

"About halfway through the show, someone grabbed the microphone on stage and said the whole thing was a hoax, and it all kicked off.

"Foster disappeared and I have not seen or heard from him since."

Charlene and other competitors gave statements to West Yorkshire Police, who investigated Mr Foster's activities and passed the file to trading standards officers in his home city of Liverpool, who have alerted their colleagues across the country.

Mr Foster declined to speak about the allegations.