Coronation Street has given a glimpse of the mystery character who is thought to have killed Lauren Bolton on the ITV soap.

The teen has been missing since February with her seemingly attacked in her flat and badly injured. She wasn’t at the scene of the crime and no body has been found, but detectives are convinced she has been murdered, with Roy Cropper charged as the culprit.

Blood splatters and traces of human tissue found at her flat were said to be consistent with a heavy blow to the head, with a bloodied weapon also found. While the soap has not confirmed her fate, it seems she could well be dead – and we will now find out who killed her.

A special week of episodes to air next week will finally expose exactly what happened the night Lauren vanished. Not only that, but flashbacks will reveal her fate and who attacked her.

In a new trailer, we go back to the flat on the night she went missing and we see her screaming for help, with her clearly crying and scared for her life. As she goes to run, we see a mystery man dressed in black grabbing her, placing is gloved hand over her mouth.

What happens next is yet to be screened, and will air next week. But it is likely to end with Lauren dead or being kidnapped, given she has been missing for months with her flat trashed and covered in blood.

The episodes are said to be “unlike anything done” by the soap before now, with twists and turns ahead. It’s thought the events of what happens in the scenes, with other key characters caught up in the drama, will lead on to new storylines for the rest of the year.

Executive Producer Iain MacLeod revealed: “This week is so gripping and unlike anything Coronation Street has done before, in terms of the story-telling. It’s modern, really exciting and has some of our favourite characters right in the middle of the drama. The murder mystery around Lauren has had us all on the edge of our seats and the race against time across this week to solve it before Roy gets seriously hurt is so engrossing and cleverly plotted. It is also the launchpad for a massive new chapter in that narrative – so you really won’t want to miss it, if you want to carry on trying to piece together this thrilling puzzle!”

So who is the mystery man shown in the trailer, and the person who caused Lauren’s disappearance? Amid speculation it could be Nathan Curtis or Joel Deering, fans will have to watch the episodes next week to find out.