Jacko Ford

Jack "Jacko" Ford was the father of Corner Shop assistant Norma Ford. He arrived in Weatherfield in June 1972 after release from Strangeways prison and went to see Norma, who had just started at the shop, but found that Norma didn't want to see him, having been let down by him all her life. When he came under suspicion of carrying out a break-in at a jewellers in Longsight, Norma believed he had done it, but he was cleared when the real crook was caught. Slowly, Norma began to accept Jacko in her life and shop owner Maggie Clegg let him sleep in the stock room at the shop.

Jacko struggled to make a new life for himself with a conviction, and faced opposition from the neighbours. Rovers Return Inn landlady Annie Walker took him on as the pub's potman, but sacked him immediately upon finding out that he had been in prison from Cyril Turpin, the policeman husband of Rovers barmaid Betty Turpin. Norma persuaded Annie to reinstate him but Jacko resigned when he noticed that Billy Walker had laid a trap for him by planting £3 under the phone. Jacko was unwilling to work for people who didn't trust him, although he did play (and lose) crib for the Rovers against the Flying Horse and later agreed to return to the Rovers as potman on Annie's request.

In October, Jacko was in the frame for another robbery when £5,000 was stolen from Benny Lewis's flat using Ray Langton's key. Hilda Ogden remembered that she had let Jacko into the flat and told the police, which led to his questioning and arrest. Norma stood by Jacko as she believed he was innocent and in January 1973 the culprits, Franny Slater, Freddie Stack and Sharon Duffy, were arrested and Jacko released. Jacko took a job as a handyman in Oakhill and left Coronation Street upon his release.

List of appearances
Episode count: 23.