Coronation Street is reportedly set to kill off Craig Tinker as Colson Smith exits the cobbles after 14 years as the local police constable.

It was confirmed in January that Colson would be leaving the ITV soap after more than a decade, with the actor himself sharing the news with fans.

‘Autumn last year I was told that Craig Tinker’s time on the Cobbles is to come to end in 2025,’ he wrote on Instagram at the time.

‘I’ve loved every single second of my 14 year stay as a resident on the greatest street in the world. I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in, on and around Coronation Street.

‘I’ve learned pretty much everything about life from the people who call it home. I’m excited to play out the exit story for our Craigy. For me, this is the end of the beginning.

‘I genuinely can’t wait to see what chapter two has in store for me.’

It was previously unknown as to how exactly Craig would be written out, though Colson did confirm that he had received his final scripts, branding them ‘a lot to process’.

According to The Sun, Craig will be killed off, with the long-running soap intent on giving him a hero’s goodbye.

‘Craig has grown up on the street and he’s become part of it so it was a tough decision to make but one that will be worth it,’ a source told the publication.

‘PC Tinker will meet his maker in heroic circumstances this summer and there won’t be a dry eye in the house when it goes out.

‘Colson is taking it well and there’s a real feeling that this chapter is closing for him and there are bigger and brighter things ahead.

‘He’ll film his final scenes later this month and then he’ll say goodbye to Craig once and for all.’

Metro has reached out to Coronation Street for comment.

Addressing the reception he received in the wake of his exit, Colson revealed that he’d received a message from Barbara Knox, who plays Rita Tanner.

‘She said: “People come and go all the time… and there’s some people who are there who love the show. You’re one of those people and I just want to say thank you for all the time that I’ve spent with you and the way that you treat me”.