Bruce Jones (born Ian Roy Jones on 24 January 1953) is an English actor, best known for his role as cab driver Les Battersby in Coronation Street. He left the role in 2007. Jones's real name is Ian Roy Jones, but he took the name of his father for professional purposes.

Biography

Jones married Sue Margaret Bailey on 12 June 1971 at St. Oswald's Church, Collyhurst. The couple had two sons, John and Stephen, and divorced in 1982. In 1984, Jones married Sandra; the couple had two children and lived in Marple.

In 1998 he pleaded guilty to drink driving after being found more than twice over the limit and was banned from driving for three years. By 2000, his alcoholism became so heavy he spent a spell in the celebrity rehab clinic the Priory.

In August 2009, Jones grabbed and repeatedly jerked the steering wheel of his car whilst his wife was driving it on the A55 in North Wales, causing it to swerve. On 19 March 2010 at Mold Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving. His wife told the court that he had physically and emotionally abused her for years. On 27 April 2010, the same court sentenced him to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

Jones told The People newspaper in January 2009 that he had blown his £1 million fortune and has not received any offers of work since leaving Coronation Street, and owed £30,000 in taxes. In September 2009 he was living alone in a caravan in North Wales. In May 2010 it was reported that Jones has been made homeless after the bank repossessed his £500,000 Cheshire house in order to pay his large debts, and that he cannot afford to go into rehab for his chronic alcoholism.

On 15 July 2011 the bank was forced to repossess his second home, a bungalow in North Wales. Court documents reveal that the Bank of Scotland started proceedings to get back £204,641 in outstanding mortgage debt.

In June 2012 Jones told the Daily Mirror that he has regularly contemplated suicide after losing both his homes. He has been warned by doctors that he will die soon if he does not stop drinking, but no longer cares. At the peak of his alcoholism he admits drinking 15 pints a day. Although he only has fourteen pounds in his bank account, he admits that he continues to find money for alcohol. His wife has left him and moved to Wolverhampton to try to find work and build a new life. On 22 June 2012, Jones shared his life story with Debi Jones on the Holiday & Cruise Channel - Sky 284's flagship programme Cruising with the Stars.

He has recently moved to north Wales village, Betws yn Rhos.

In June 2015 Jones appeared in a documentary about celebrities who are now reliant on welfare. He was shown to be receiving JobSeeker's allowance and subsidies for rent payments.