Tina Malone sacked after coke bust at panto

ACTRESS Tina Malone was jobless last night after being sacked from panto for having cocaine.

In a scene that could have come straight from her TV hit Shameless, Tina was arrested by police as she left the theatre.

They had been tipped off by shocked theatre staff after she was heard asking for “her little bag of snow” before going on stage.

Suspicious parents at the Sleeping Beauty pantomime also reportedly saw her with a white substance under her nose.

Tina, 54, whose co-stars included children, later admitted having the class A drug after being arrested on Friday night. She was given a police caution.

The actress was promptly sacked from her role as wicked fairy godmother Carabosse at the Cloud Nine theatre in Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria – although production bosses insisted it was a mutual decision for her to leave.

Last night a show source told the Sunday People: “Tina had been asking people earlier in the evening if they had seen her ‘little bag of snow’.

“She seemed concerned that it had gone missing.

“One of the parents at the panto noticed a white substance under her nose and asked what it was. She just winked and said ‘It’s showbiz snow’.”

Begged

Liverpudlian Tina, best known for her role as foul-mouthed Mimi Maguire in Channel 4’s Shameless, was pictured only hours before her arrest eating a takeaway burger in between shows.

Her four-year-old daughter Flame and husband Paul Chase, who is 19 years her junior, were in the theatre when police swooped.

She reportedly asked police not to handcuff her as she was led away while members of the audience were leaving. Our source said: “As she came me off stage, she heard a rumour police had d been tipped off she was using cocaine.

“She tried to get t a taxi, but police stopped her in time and took ok her inside the venue to search her. She begged the police not to handcuff her, and seemed very worried.”

A Cumbria police ce spokesman said: “Police were called at 8:21pm pm on Friday to the report of a female being in possession of an illegal substance.

Detained etained

“A 54-year-old woman from Merseyside was arrested on n suspicion of being in possession of a class ass A drug. “The woman was detained whilst she helped police with h their enquiries. She was later cautioned ned for the offence.” After er Tina’s shock departure, production oduction bosses drafted in a male stand- in, Alan French, for last night’s and today’s final shows. A spokesman for Joe Purdy Productions said: “We and the artist involved have made a mu mutual t ual decision to terminate contract with immediate effect as soon as we were made aware of the situation. ituation. The cast and crew were ere deeply shocked and saddened ddened but in true panto spirit, irit, the show must go on.” But last night our ur source claimed the rest of the cast were pleased to see the back of “diva” Tina, who o has also appeared in Victoria Wood’s sitcom tcom Dinnerladies and C4 soap Brookside. The source said: d: “She was moody and always swearing, even at the kids.” Another show insider said: “We had to move Tina from her er original accommodation in a refurbished block lock of flats to one of the most expensive hotels otels in the area as she complained constantly. antly. “She didn’t know w the songs for the first show and one of the he dancers had to sing it and she lost it t with the kid and reduced her to tears. rs. Tina didn’t really mix with the rest of the cast.” Last night Tina a was unavailable for comment despite espite repeated requests.