Mike Baldwin under murder shadow

Police recover Mike Baldwin's car from a river

Coronation Street's Mike Baldwin is suspected of murder in a dramatic new twist to the soap's storyline.

After this week's revelations on BBC One's EastEnders, ITV 1 bosses will be hoping that the new Street plot will attract more viewers to the UK's longest-running TV soap.

Mike Baldwin: The man Street viewers love to hate

In Monday's episode Mike Baldwin - played by Johnny Briggs - will fall under suspicion when an investigation into his wife Linda's disappearance leads to a dumped car with Baldwin's personalised MVB plate.

Linda - played by Jacqueline Pirie - was last seen weeks ago after having an argument with her husband.

Her worried mother Eve - played by Melanie Kilburn - then called in the police.

Linda and Mike Baldwin's marriage was already in trouble, after she was found to have been having an affair with his son Mark.

Row

After the subsequent row Linda failed to turn up at her mum's wedding to Fred Elliot (John Savident) and when she had still not turned up when they returned from their honeymoon Eve called the police.

The trail to Mike Baldwin's car starts with the discovery of one of Linda's shoes in the river. Police then haul Baldwin's car out of the river.

A Coronation Street spokeswoman said: "Over the coming weeks we'll see Mike Baldwin face his biggest low point.

"He's a hard man but his this could be the final nail in the coffin for him, this could be thing that breaks him."