Emmerdale confirms fate of Piper the dog as the soap risks furious backlash after Ofcom complaints

AFTER a painful cliffhanger when Piper's life was left hanging in the balance, Emmerdale has confirmed the dog's fate after Tom's vicious attack.

The villain has been abusing his wife Belle for months, and after she separated from him, hatched a new evil plan to get her back under his thumb.

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In a recent episode of the soap, Tom was seen driving at full speed towards Belle's dog Piper as he came across the furball on the street.

He then got out of the car and faked shock as Belle came out of the pub just to see her beloved pooch bleeding out by the side of the road.

Tom ran to grab Piper and take her to the vet, pretending that him running her over was accidental.

Viewers were left furious and said they were switching Emmerdale off after the sickening scenes aired.

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As a preview clip for tonight's episode of the soap has dropped, it's clear they have even more to be angry about as it seems Piper did not survive the attack.

In the video Belle could be seen accusing Tom of "killing" Piper, implying that the dog is indeed dead.

The heartbroken woman was visibly struggling with the loss of her beloved animal.

Tom used the opportunity to suggest he move back in to look after her, pretending that he was worried about her mental health after the incident with Piper.

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She declined but he kept trying to convince her that she needs him during this difficult time.

That's when the penny dropped and viewers watch Belle realise that Tom orchestrated the whole accident so that he could live with her again.

In shock, she says: "Oh my God it was you. It was you wasn't it... you’ve killed her. You ran her over."

Emmerdale was previously hit with almost 1k Ofcom complaints when they first aired a scene showing Tom using the dog to manipulate Belle.

When she took some time away from him to stay in a mental health facility, fearing she was losing her mind, he tortured the dog so that Belle would come back and care for her pup.

876 viewers contacted the television regulator to say that the abuse plot had gone too far.

One person complained, saying: "You shouldn’t show such disturbing scenes, the human abuse is bad enough, needs to be over asap."

Darkest soap storylines

Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock...

EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009) - Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer. But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12. The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning. Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.

Emmerdale: Holly's drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016) - In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale's first teenage drug addict. The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit. Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed. Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.

Hollyoaks: Luke's rape (2000) - Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first male rape victim. Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs - who raped him after Luke stood up to him. Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison. Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.

Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003) - Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans. He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why. The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel. In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house. And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head. He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal. They survived, but he didn’t.