Twisted Joel Deering (Calum Lill) has continued to wreak havoc over

Lauren Bolton’s (Cait Fitton) life – now targeting their unborn baby.

Viewers of the ITV soap were shocked to discover that Joel was the one responsible

for her disappearance when it was unveiled last month.

With Lauren believed to be dead, our jaws were firmly on the ground when she turned up at Roy Cropper’s (David Neilson) bedside following his near-fatal heart attack.

After being bundled into a side room by Joel, she revealed she was pregnant with his baby in order to protect herself.

He knew then that he was in an impossible situation and would have to come up with a new plan to get rid of her – and quick.

Joel demanded she frame paedophile Nathan Curtis, who is currently locked up for breaching the stipulations with his release by ‘contacting Lauren’, but she later told DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) that she didn’t want to press charges.

In return, she demanded that Joel arrange for her to start a new life in Ireland, by booking her flights and organising a place for her to stay. The temporary place was his flat, which meant he could keep a close eye on her.

However, he had something much more sinister up his sleeve…

Back at No.15a, he loaded up his laptop and searched for drugs that can induce premature labour.

In tonight’s (24th July) episode, Joel contacted the delivery company and urged them to hurry up with the pills. Lauren was becoming frustrated that he had yet to book the flights, and felt hemmed up in his apartment.

Desperate for some normality, she called round to No. 8 to catch-up with her old pal Max Turner (Paddy Bever).

Max was adamant to find out why she was reluctant to report Nathan, and questioned where she was staying. A mild row broke out between them both, and she stormed off.

Later, back at Joel’s flat, she was surprised to see that Joel had bought her a TV to keep her occupied.

Despite her fear, she knows she has to rely on him for stability, as actress Cait Fitton explained: ‘Lauren is not grateful for Joel, he tried killing her. Lauren is in fact desperate.’

She continued: ‘Her focus is on the baby. Lauren has played her trump card with Joel which is the baby, the only evidence that can be used to bring Joel down. However, Joel has blackmailed Lauren, reassuring her that if she stays quiet about what happened he will financially help and support her moving to Ireland to start a new life, just her and the baby.

‘Lauren is stuck between a rock and a hard place – she hasn’t got the financial stability to move to Ireland herself, so the only way she will get her wish is if she keeps herself quiet about what Joel did.’

In upcoming scenes she begins to experience stomach pains. Has he proceeded in killing their unborn baby?