[Scarlett.]

The former soldier takes on Phelan after discovering he has made a string of sexual advances to his mum Anna, leaving her petrified.

Things get out of hand between them at The Mill and Gary (Mikey North, 27) is convinced he has killed him.

He confides in Anna’s boyfriend Owen about what happened and the builder vows to stand by him. Gary tells Owen: “I’m drowning here. He’s dead, I know he is.”

But Owen hits back: “Do you think this is easy for me knowing what that man did to her?

“Pull yourself together, will you?

“You might as well have guilty tattooed on your forehead.

“You can do this, we both can.”

Fans will have to wait until the spring to see this storyline play out but Anna (Debbie Rush, 47) has hinted that the fall-out will be huge.

She revealed: “Anna has a horrible time. The Windasses think they’re going to have an amazing year ahead, but they don’t.

“Anna’s very solid and she’s very protective.

“She’d go to the ends of the earth to protect her family, and that’s what we’ll see.”

Corrie boss Stuart Blackburn added: “It will change Anna’s life forever.”

Daily Star