Steve Rafferty

Steve Rafferty was a colleague of Deirdre Barlow's on the council in 1989.

When the Weatherfield Recorder blew the whistle on council plans to turn the Community Centre in Coronation Street into a hostel for homeless youths, most councillors assumed that as Ken was the editor, Deirdre must have leaked it. Despite the lack of proof, Steve put a resolution to the housing committee to vote to have Deirdre thrown out of a meeting, remarking that they might as well hold their meetings in the street otherwise. Councillor George Burgess spoke up for Deirdre, but otherwise Steve had the full backing of the committee and, seeing which way the tide was turning, Deirdre left the meeting of her own accord.

A few days later, Deirdre pressed George and Steve for updates on the hostel situation, though neither councillor would share the information with her. Steve continued to snipe at Deirdre, asking when he ran into her at the Town Hall if she was there to resign. However, when the latest hostel plans made the next edition of the Recorder, exonerating Deirdre, Steve made a sincere apology, and offered to sort out anyone who suspected her.

With Deirdre out of the picture, Steve emerged as the main suspect due to him giving stories to the Gazette a few years previously. Steve found the taunts of his colleagues unbearable and, fearing his career was at risk, turned up at the Recorder office to confront Ken. However, Ken's moral righteousness and lack of sympathy enraged the man all the more, and had to be physically restrained by Maurice Jones. When Ken explained that Deirdre had given Chief Executive Peter Reynolds his assurance that he was not the mole, Steve agreed to leave peacefully.

The following month, when suspicion fell on Deirdre again due to another leak, Deirdre informed Peter Reynolds that the real mole was council secretary Wendy Crozier, who was then sacked for gross misconduct.

1989

 * Wed 28th Jun
 * Mon 3rd Jul
 * Mon 10th Jul
 * Mon 17th Jul
 * Wed 19th Jul