Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and fiancé Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) recently endured a terrible ordeal on Emmerdale, which they believed to have been the work of Ella Forster (Paula Lane).

Ella and Liam started a relationship together soon after she arrived in the village, but her behaviour was a little bit ‘off’ from the outset.

In particular she seemed very interested in the fact that his daughter Leanna (Mimi Slinger) had been murdered by Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu).

This led to all sorts of theories from fans about a possible connection between Ella and Meena until the truth was revealed, that Ella herself was a killer.

As a child she’d killed her former best friend in a fit of jealous rage, and had been dealing with the consequences ever since, never being able to settle in a place for long before the truth about who she was came out and she had to leave.

Eventually the people of Emmerdale were able to move past this revelation and Ella settled into the village and her romance with Liam was rekindled.

This didn’t last, however, as he realised he was in love with Chas. Ella was distraught when she found out about this, furious with Chas for stealing her man and devastated that Liam could betray her.

Then bad things started happening to them. Chas overdosed on her pain medication and almost died, and the finger of blame was pointed straight at Ella. Someone through a rock through the window of the Woolpack, and again it seemed that Ella was trying to wreak revenge.

Viewers, however, were given a glimpse of who the real culprit of all these acts was. John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), a man whose twisted psychology apparently makes him need to rescue people even if it means harming them first, was behind it all along.

When Ella protested her innocence she was telling the truth, but everyone’s lack of belief in her led her to behave recklessly in holding Mandy hostage and brandishing a knife at her and Liam. She was arrested, still desperately trying to get Liam to believe she wasn’t to blame.

While the viewers know the truth, as far as Liam and Chas are concerned Ella was behind everything. So when Liam was brutally attacked and Mack found him unconscious, they quickly concluded that Ella must have returned.

Ella’s innocence is proved by PC Swirling

Unfortunately this time Ella has a cast-iron alibi, as will be seen in upcoming episodes when local police officer PC Swirling (Andy Moore)visits the village.

No less and authority than Swirling knows exactly where Ella was when the attack took place, and he knows for a fact that she wasn’t responsible.

This leads Liam and Chas to be even more fearful.