The former Coronation Street heart-throb, who played effeminate Nick Tilsley before shooting to pop stardom with his debut single ‘I Breathe Again’, was formally charged with fraud yesterday, and bailed to appear at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, on December 25.

Eagle-eyed tax officials alerted the police when a discrepancy was spotted on teen-hunk Adam’s form.

“Our suspicions were first aroused when we noticed that Mr Rickitt had stated that he was a musician and actor.

We contacted his agent, Keith Wipe, and asked him to provide some evidence of this.

"He gave us a copy of the video to Mr Rickitt’s latest single, and after viewing it we have decided that neither of the job descriptions is accurate.”

Rickitt was unavailable for comment yesterday, but Mr Wipe said that the star refuted the allegations and intended to fight them in court.

Rickitt’s auntie Irene also added that the pop sensation was “a lovely lad.”

Meanwhile, Wimbledon and Republic of Ireland defender Kenny Cunningham distanced himself from the case, saying only, “you’ve got to admit, his acting wasn’t very good and his songs are awful, but then I don’t really see what it’s got to do with me.”

Top Tory MP Anne Widdecombe may be screaming away at Glastonbury next year if plans to recruit her to a death metal band are successful.

The ebullient right-winger, dubbed ‘Donkey’ because of her infamous ‘screeching’ voice, is the favoured choice for lead vocals by the Mansfield-based metal outfit Corpslayer, and Tory leader William Hague is said to be very keen on the idea of Ms Widdecombe, 91, joining the band as he looks to build up his party’s hip new image.

An insider said, “This is a very exciting opportunity for the party to reach a whole new generation of disaffected idiots and the like through Anne’s amazing voice.

However, Ms Widdecombe herself seemed less enthusiastic about the venture, which would entail her jumping about and shouting things about death and missing arms.

Speaking through an interpreter, she said, “I don’t mind entertaining the public - I even had a go at karaoke once until the amplifier broke - but I’m very sceptical about this type of music. In fact, I’m certain it causes 68% of crime in this country. It ought to be banned.”

To add further scorn to Mr Hague’s plan, music biz insiders were appalled at the idea.

Hague, however, is true to his northern upbringing and is unlikely to give up without a fight. He spoke yesterday about the “grand tradition” of singers in the Conservative Party, which began with Peter Lilley’s rendition of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ at the 1997 party conference and exploded when Dr Brian Mawhinney cunningly recited a few words from The Beatles’ ‘Nowhere Man’ in a stunning character assassination on Tony Blair.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon and Republic of Ireland defender Kenny Cunningham took a jovial view of events, quipping, “I’m not trying to say she’s a big girl or anything, but when they raised the Titanic, they could have used her as a counter-balance, and when she gets on the talking scales it says ‘one at a time please!’ I mean she really is a big old girl.”