A veteran of the BBC soap EastEnders is set to stand trial in a fortnight after being taken into custody by officers.
Shane Richie, famed for his portrayal of Alfie Moon, will face Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 9 September accused of driving while over the legal alcohol limit.
Police confirmed the arrest stemmed from calls about an alleged drunken driver in the Church Langley Way region of Harlow at approximately 11.20pm on Wednesday 29 July.
Officers responded to the location and detained a man, with prosecutors subsequently approving a drink-driving charge against Shane Roche, 62, from Tadworth in Surrey.
Richie initially gained recognition through his work as a Pontins entertainment officer and solo comic before transitioning to quiz programmes and comedy sketches on television.
The actor, also 62, entered the cast of EastEnders in 2002, with his Alfie Moon rapidly becoming one of the most beloved characters in the BBC’s long-running serial.
His intermittent romance with Kat Slater has become one of television’s most iconic pairings and has resulted in appearances spanning more than a thousand episodes.
Beyond life in Walford, Richie has hosted prime-time entertainment programmes, performed in major theatrical productions and maintained a separate career as a music performer.
He maintains close ties to Oxford’s theatrical community, taking to the stage at the New Theatre in 2006 in an adaptation of Scrooge.
More recently, he returned to the city in 2025 as part of the Prat Pack ensemble, delivering a blend of musical performances and comedy to local spectators.
The production pairs him with entertainers Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley and Joe Pasquale, who describe themselves as a playful homage to the legendary Rat Pack.
Their 2025 UK tour brought them to the New Theatre Oxford on George Street for a single performance on 22 May, combining swing classics, stand-up routines and anecdotes from their extensive careers in entertainment.
The New Theatre was among numerous venues across the country on the tour itinerary, giving city audiences the opportunity to watch Richie perform live alongside his longtime colleagues.