It’s a real nightmare at Christmas on Coronation Street with a shotgun rampage and talk of one character ending up dead.
The drama explodes and bullets are fired after Corrie loan shark baddie Gary Windass locks businessman Derek Milligan in the furniture shop overnight, determined to show him who’s boss and making him miss his flight to Florida with his kids.
On Christmas Eve Gary frees Derek from his bonds but his stooge is distraught, believing he’s lost his family forever.
Fiz Stape unwittingly becomes part of the horror when she calls at the shop to drop off items from a house clearance, including an antique gun, and an alarmed Gary points out it’s still live.
He’s later aghast to find the furniture shop door open, and the gun and its ammunition missing.
Things go from bad to worse on Christmas Day when a drunken Derek lurches into the Rovers Return looking for Gary, pulling out a gun.
Derek gives chase into the Winter Wonderland theme park attraction organised by Michael Bailey, where Gary orders everyone to hide. Michael is horrified as the Platts run for cover and Maria Connor arrives looking for her man.
Finding themselves in the middle of a shoot out, David Platt is desperate to protect his new wife Shona, while his sister Sarah holds her children Bethany and Harry close.
Assuring her they will escape unscathed, Adam Barlow chooses the moment to ask Sarah to marry him.
On Boxing Day the residents of Weatherfield suffer the hangover from hell as they come to terms with the dramatic events of the previous day.
