Mum on the run!
Leanne flees Weatherfield with Simon when Harvey discovers she’s a grass...
THE THOUGHT OF LOSING SIMON... SHE CAN’T EVEN GO THERE
Leanne Battersby can turn her hand to many things – her recent curly blow-dry was a revelation – but she’s not cut out for being a police informant.
Just a fortnight after she agreed to work with the Weatherfield force to bring down drugs boss Harvey, the snarling gangster uncovers her game.
It’s obvious Lea doesn’t have the right skill set when one of Harvey’s dealers, Ned, tells her he’s expecting a delivery and intends on using her flat to bag up the gear.
Quizzing him for information so she can report back to DC Costello, Leanne’s approach is less ‘subtle probing’ and more ‘Spanish Inquisition’.
As D-day arrives, Ned orders the stressed-out mum to phone in sick at work so she can help with the dodgy job. Nick and Toyah then jump to conclusions as they spot Harvey heading towards Victoria Court – Nick is convinced he’s Leanne’s lover, and Toyah’s livid to think her sister is skiving off work to have some sexy time.
Behind closed doors, of course, Leanne is going through hell, and the situation gets worse when Harvey insists on taking Simon as his helper, rather than her. She knows that if anything goes wrong, the teenager could be in serious danger.
With the cops in the know, needless to say Harvey’s errand doesn’t go to plan. Correctly deducing that someone has snitched, he furiously confronts Leanne, who has little choice but to admit that it was her.
‘She is absolutely terrified, and not just of Harvey,’ says Jane Danson, who plays her. ‘He knows people who know people.’
Fearing for the future now that she’s been exposed as a grass, Leanne tells Toyah that she’s leaving the cobbles with Simon as it’s the only way she can ensure his safety.
‘She has just faced the worst possible thing in losing Oliver, so the thought of losing Simon… well, she can’t even go there,’ adds Jane.
Toyah reports back to Nick, who tells Leanne they can work things out. But she insists it’s too late.
Nick’s torn – he wants to go with her, but he has obligations to young Sam. Will he walk out on the son he’s only recently found to be with the woman he loves?