There is more heartbreak ahead in Weatherfield as one couple splits and another relationship may be over before it’s even begun. It starts when Liam Connor and Joseph Brown settle down to watch a film. When Joseph asks Liam if things have improved at school, Liam struggles to breathe and reaches for his inhaler.

Joseph urges him to tell Maria about his panic attacks but Liam refuses as he doesn’t want to worry her. While Joseph keeps a lookout, Liam rummages in the cupboards for sweets. He’s intrigued to find Paul’s stash of Benzo pills and puts them in his pocket.

Meanwhile, in the Rovers, Gary Windass watches Sarah Barlow with concern as she knocks back the wine. When he spots her heading home with another bottle, he goes over. As he does, Liam returns home to find Gary not back, and, feeling a panic attack coming on, he takes out Paul’s Benzo pills.

It’s Paul’s husband Billy Mayhew who discovers the missing pills and, when Joseph reveals that Liam was looking for sweets, Billy panics. Unbeknownst to them, alone in the flat, Liam lies unconscious, the pill bottle next to him.

Later, Maria explains to Billy and Paul how Liam has been having suicidal thoughts. Maria returns home to find Sarah and Gary looking shifty and she picks up some things and surreptitiously places a camera on the side. As Gary sees Sarah out, they hug and agree to keep their distance from now on but Maria watches them on her phone and her face darkens.

And, it appears things don’t go well for the pair as by the end of the week, Gary’s hoping for a reconciliation, but Maria makes it clear that’s not on the cards. Gary’s gutted and a fraught Maria confides in brother Kirk Sutherland how Liam has been for his first therapy session and she feels like the worst mum in the world.