Pollard attacked – as Dan cowers
A TERRIFYING ROBBERY AT THE SHOP HAS MAJOR REPERCUSSIONS…
There’s high drama at the village store this week, as Pollard is brutally beaten by teenage thugs – and Dan stands by and lets it happen!
The bad lads round on Pollard when he’s serving alone in the shop, where he makes it clear he’s not about to give in to their threats. But as the situation turns volatile, the real shock comes after Dan – who is also in the store – cowers in a corner and leaves Pollard at the mercy of the dangerous robbers…
“It’s terrifying!” reveals Liam Fox, who plays Dan. “At first, Dan is frozen and he doesn’t know what to do. He only pops into the shop to buy some tablets and he’s minding his own business when things take a nasty turn. One moment he hears these guys come in, the next they are losing it with Pollard and whacking him with a baseball bat!”
UNDER SIEGE!
It’s a nightmare situation for all concerned, but Dan’s not usually a man to shirk responsibility in the face of danger. In fact, due to his training as a paramedic, he’s used to rushing to the aid of those in distress. So why does he fail to act this time?
“I think it’s a situation where something is happening and you just don’t know what to do,” explains Liam. “Dan’s really scared, and he’s got a million things going through his head. He’s thinking, ‘If I do something, I’ll get whacked,
After the guys flee, Dan is wracked with guilt for not doing anything”
but Pollard’s an old guy and needs help’. After the villains flee, Dan is wracked with guilt for not stepping in.”
HELP IS AT HAND!
As the lads scatter, Dan finally rushes to Pollard’s side and realises he’s badly injured. Given Eric’s previous problems with his heart, it’s a time-critical situation – fortunately, Dan’s medical expertise means that he is able to help at last. “Dan doesn’t know quite how serious Eric’s injuries are at this point,” says Liam. “But he’s obviously in a lot of pain – and thanks to Dan’s experience as a trainee paramedic, he’s got a little bit of knowledge of how to help him out.”
Thankfully, the ambulance team soon arrive to treat Pollard, and what could have been a horrifying situation is under control.
But while Pollard’s injuries might heal, Dan’s bruised ego remains in pretty bad shape.
“Dan wants to kick himself,” shares Liam. “At the end of the day, he feels that if he can’t take on these young kids, then there’s something very wrong. But then again, what kind of consequences would there be for him getting involved and hitting a youngster?
I think there’s something in his past that means he avoids violence at all costs.”
For actor Liam, however, it was interesting to watch the attack being filmed.
“It looked impressive!” he enthuses. “The way they shot the scene where the kids were hitting Pollard was great. It’s good to do a story with Chris Chittell [who plays Pollard], Amy Walsh [Tracy] and Matthew Wolfenden [David], as I haven’t worked with them much before.”
Will there be repercussions for Dan on screen, though?
“Oh, I think there will be,” sighs Liam. “He really doesn’t want everyone to know what happened – so the whole village will probably find out!”