Steve McDonald turns vigilante after armed robbery horror in Coronation Street

Convinced by wife Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) to take illegal taxi passenger pick-ups off the street and charge more money so they can save up to buy a house, Steve reluctantly drove a young lad who flagged him down. But his fare then robbed a garage and forced Steve to drive him away from the scene of the crime, threatening him with a knife and warning he will come after his family if he goes to the police.

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By Wednesday 22nd May, Steve has told the police about the robbery, explaining he was carjacked. He then bites the bullet and gets back behind the wheel for more illegal fares, but the robbery has left him troubled and when a group of lads refuse to pay for their journey after he picks them up from a bowling alley, the red mist descends.

Grabbing a baseball bat he has stashed under the seat to defend himself, he brandishes the weapon and the boys do a runner down the cobbles before one of them is hit by a car.

Scared he's caused a serious accident, Steve is relieved when the lad gets to his feet and appears to be unhurt. It then transpires he is up-and-coming professional footballer James Bailey (Nathan Graham) who plays for Weatherfield County. He doesn't want his club knowing he was up to no good so asks Steve to forget about it.

When Steve takes James back to the office, the cops have arrived – they want to discuss the robbery from the previous week, and immediately have some questions about what just happened out on the street…

Will the police discover Steve picked the robber up illegally, potentially putting his livelihood at risk? And is this the start of a post-traumatic nightmare for the ex-publican? Could he lash out with his baseball bat again?

Who are Coronation Street's new characters, the Bailey family?

This storyline introduces the first member of Corrie's new family, as James is set to move into No.3 in June with the rest of the Baileys – mum Aggie (Lorna Laidlaw), dad Edison (Michael Georges) and older brother Michael (Ryan Russell).

James's burgeoning career will be the subject of the character's first big storyline as he comes out as gay and becomes the victim of homophobia in the football industry.

Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.