Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) and Peter Beale (Thomas Law) have been given a significant update about their newborn son Jimmy’s health.

The couple have been struggling immensely in the wake of the child’s visual impairment diagnosis – something which Peter openly blamed Lauren for.

She took responsibility, given her painkiller addiction while she was pregnant, but was hoping that her fiancé would take a more sympathetic approach given the life-changing news.

A number of arguments followed, and she found comfort in Zack Hudson (James Farrar).

There was a kiss – nothing more – but mother-in-law from hell Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) became suspicious and earlier this week, after Lauren and Peter reunited and seemed to be back on fine form, she forced her to confess.

That had explosive consequences in the most recent instalment, with the pair seeming more fractured than ever before.

Jimmy had a hospital appointment to receive the results of his genetic test, and Peter was putting it to the back of his mind and focussing on the reopening of the fruit and veg stall instead.

Later, during the meeting with the doctor, they discovered that his eyesight issues were caused as a result of a random mutation, that couldn’t have been connected to Lauren’s opioid abuse.

She took a sigh of relief, as a nervous Peter offered a pathetic apology for his treatment of her.

It just wasn’t enough, and Lauren was sick of being treated like ‘the worst person in the world’.

Unfortunately, back at home, things got even worse. The Beales gathered in the pub and Peter knocked back the pints, with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) telling him that, from experience, an answer can’t be found in the bottom of a glass.

Taking her advice on board, he marched over to Zack’s house and picked a fight. Punches were dealt, and Peter was sent flying into his market stall.

Lauren watched on, mortified, and demanded he come back to their house to sort the situation.

While a conversation erupted into something horrific, their eldest son Louie (Jake McNally) grabbed Louie from his pram, and walked out into the garden.

A while later, Lauren and Peter discovered that their boys were missing.