The domestic abuse storyline that has seen Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) being

subjected to husband Tom (James Chase)’s coercive, controlling and violent behaviour in

Emmerdale takes another turn in upcoming episodes when Charity (Emma Atkins)

and Cain (Jeff Hordley) realise something is badly wrong and follow the couple to a remote holiday cottage in Wales. Jeff Hordley explained why Cain and Charity are so concerned. ‘Just before they set off for the cottage they go round to the house and break in and he sees lots of red flags dotted around the house such as cameras and all kinds of security things that make them think, “That’s a bit odd.” They realise that Belle’s phone’s there and hot-foot it to Wales.’ When they get there, they find the cottage has been completely trashed and there’s blood on the walls – and no sign of Belle or Tom. ‘I don’t think Cain quite believes it until he gets there,’ Jeff said of the moment Cain finally realises that Charity’s instincts about Tom have been correct and Tom may have done something terrible to Belle.

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‘It’s interesting that Cain, this once not very liked figure by a lot of the viewers when I first joined, they now see him as this kind of hero who can go in and save the day for other people – in a not very nice way,’ he laughed. Cain has never shied away from dishing out justice when he feels it’s necessary, although recently we’ve seen him becoming slightly less likely to think with his fists first. Jeff traced this change in his character back to when Cain went to prison to protect his son Kyle (Huey Quinn) after the killing of Al Chapman (Michael Wildman). ‘The spell in prison and realising what that meant for him to be away from his family, although he was doing it to protect Kyle. I don’t think he’s going to throw himself into a dangerous position as easily as that again, to be away from all his family,’ he said.

‘But it is Cain and his DNA is always going to be within him, so who knows what he’s capable of?’ Whether it’s Cain who dishes out Tom’s punishment or not, Jeff was clear that we will see Tom get his comeuppance. ‘This is what we have to see because it’s an important storyline in that this coercive behaviour that happens, people find themselves in these relationships. It’s good that it’s been told over a period and they’ve not made it short, because these things don’t just happen over a few months. ‘And everybody loves Belle, don’t they?’