[Smithy]

Coronation Street superbitch Tracy Barlow is to be brutally beaten by fellow prisoners in a forthcoming storyline, according to a report.

The twisted character, played by actress Kate Ford, is left fighting for her life when inmates turn on her for framing innocent Gail McIntyre (Helen Worth) for murder, The Sun claims.

As revealed last month, Tracy ends up sharing a cell with Gail after being enlisted to extract a confession from her former neighbour in return for early release. She then concocts a false story to ensure that police have a case against Gail.

However, it is thought that the other prisoners soon discover that Tracy has been helping the authorities and corner her in the showers, delivering kicks and punches until she is left unconscious.

A Weatherfield source said: "Tracy is horrified when she realises the girls have rumbled her twisted plan. She's brazen and never had any trouble in jail before, but this really shakes her.

"There is no way of escaping the angry mob and she takes the beating of a lifetime. It's touch-and-go whether she survives."

The plot is expected to have significant consequences for life back on the Street as Tracy's mother Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) is left devastated by the attack.

Meanwhile, Gail's son Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) will reportedly take his frustrations out on Tracy's stepbrother Peter (Chris Gascoyne) when he discovers what she has been up to.


I'm loving how this storyline is unraveling, It sounds like one of the best plots in years