During Friday’s episode of the soap Tom King will deliberately rev his car in the direction of Belle Dingle’s dog Piper.

Emmerdale’s Tom King and Belle Dingle storyline is to show how domestic abusers can use family pets as a “weapon”.

During Friday’s episode viewers will watch Tom deliberately rev his car in the direction of Belle’s dog Piper in order to exert control over her.

James Chase, who plays Tom, said his character is “well aware of the control he can exert by using his dog” in his abuse of Belle, played by Eden Taylor-Draper.

“This deliberate act, although horrifying, is Tom’s way of getting back in Belle’s life,” he said.