Steve Coogan's first live stand-up tour in a decade has been punctuated by booing and heckling after audience members walked out halfway through his show at the Liverpool Echo Arena.

Representatives for the 43-year-old have been forced to apologise to angry fans after many posted comments on websites calling his performance "woeful".

Coogan's representatives at Freud Communications said: "A great deal of time and effort has gone in to the preparation and production of the live tour. We are sorry to hear that some people did not enjoy the performances."

Coogan in currently touring the country performing a live show, "Steve Coogan is Alan Partridge and other less successful characters" seeing the return of some of his old characters including Paul Calf, the bumbling TV host.

It leaves a bag of mixed reviews for the tour so far which finishes up in Leeds in mid December.

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