Max Turner (Paddy Bever) finally raised the alarm over racist Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron) in tonight’s Coronation Street (4th January 2023) – but it may be too late for the troubled teen.
The young man has been groomed by Griff and his gang into joining their vile campaign against anyone they don’t deem ‘British enough’ to be in ‘their country’, and Max has been making harmful propaganda and has even moved in with Griff.
But when he realised that the group had planted a bomb, Max confided in Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) that they should spread the word and get people to safety. Lauren didn’t want to believe that her dad Reece (Scott Anson) could do something so awful, but when Reece called her and warned her to stay away from the market, Lauren knew Max must be right.
Max rushed to speak to Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) and her grandmother Yasmeen Metcalfe (Shelley King), but they weren’t keen on hearing him out after his recent behaviour. However, it soon dawned on them that Max was being sincere.
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He was particularly concerned to spot the Speed Daal van nearby, given that the gang had told Max that the van was at the bottom of the canal. Max, Alya and Yasmeen checked the vehicle, and Alya discovered a device attached to the steering wheel – and it contained a timer.
Elsewhere, undercover copper Spider Nugent (Martin Hancock) regained consciousness after being brutally attacked by Griff. Spider underwent an operation, but after a tense wait for partner Toyah Habeeb (Georgia Taylor), he pulled through.
Back on the cobbles, other residents helped to clear the street while Alya took matters into her own hands. She insisted on driving the van somewhere remote in order to limit the risk. Yasmeen begged Alya not to go, but she sped off as the clock continued to tick.
Yasmeen made a frantic call to Alya, who explained that she had initially hoped to leave the van at the Red Rec, but there were people around the area. Yasmeen urged her granddaughter to get herself to safety, before telling the brave woman how proud her late father Kal (Jimi Mistry) would have been.
Max could only wait at home with adoptive dad David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) as they waited for news and hoped that Alya would make it out alive, while Yasmeen, Stu Carpenter (Bill Fellows) and the rest of the locals prayed for the same thing.
The timer on the van dwindled down to seconds, and Alya managed to stop the engine somewhere quiet. Then the bomb exploded, and viewers were left with a tense wait over her fate as she was seen sprawled on the ground with a wound on her head.
Thankfully, police officer Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) found Alya and brought her home. She was now conscious and had refused to go to the hospital, but Yasmeen convinced her to get checked over.
At the Platts’, Craig and another officer arrived to take Max in for questioning. David was hesitant, and Craig explained that a refusal to co-operate could lead to Max’s arrest. Just as this looked like it was going to happen, Max stepped in and agreed to go with the police.
The residents watched as Max was taken away – but will he be facing charges? And will Griff ever be caught?
If you are concerned that someone you know might be being radicalised, you are not alone. There is advice and support available via www.actearly.uk. If you’ve seen or heard something that could potentially be related to terrorism, trust your instincts and report it. Your actions could save lives. Report via www.gov.uk/ACT or call 0800 789 321.
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