Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale’s Liam Cavanagh receives crushing news next week as he realises there’ll be no speedy resolution to his attack mystery.

Liam is eager for answers after being brutally targeted by an unknown person at the allotments – although viewers know that John Sugden was the cruel culprit.

The local doctor and his partner Chas Dingle have been quick to suspect Ella Forster of being responsible for the nasty incident.

In a new spoiler clip, though, PC Swirling pays a visit and confirms that this couldn’t have been the case.

pc swirling, liam cavanagh and chas dingle, emmerdale

ITV

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Swirling explains: “Contact has finally been made with Ella. I can’t divulge [where she is].

“What I can tell you is that Ms Forster has a fairly cast-iron alibi for her whereabouts yesterday. Specifically that she was in an appointment with her therapist at the time of the attack.”

Chas scoffs: “Very convenient, isn’t it? It’s almost as if she knew that she’d have to account for herself.

“Maybe she just got somebody else to do her dirty work for her.”

Watch the clip below:

Play Iconpreview for Emmerdale's Liam receives attack update (ITV)

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Swirling seems uninterested in pursuing this theory, pointing out that there’s no firm evidence to go on.

Will Chas and Liam ever accept that Ella wasn’t to blame, or will they continue to focus on her and inadvertently let John off the hook?

Paula Lane’s final scenes as Ella aired at the start of this month.

paula lane as ella forster, emmerdale

ITV

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In a video released after her exit episode aired, she said: “I just wanted to say that I have had a lovely time here. I’ve met some wonderful people and I will really, really cherish the experience.

“I just want to say thank you all for your support and your messages, and I hope you get to see me on some new dramas in the future, or on stage, or wherever life now takes me in my career.”

Emmerdale airs Swirling’s visit on Monday 28 April on ITV1 and ITVX.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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