Emmerdale reveals unexpected arrest as Moira feud erupts

Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale's Moira Dingle is pushed to breaking point next week when her family is threatened – and she ends up arrested after going on a violent rampage of revenge.

Feeling the pressure to sell Butler's Farm, Moira's temper boils over when her home is invaded by intruders.

Fuelled by fury, she takes her anger out on Joe Tate, leading to her being arrested when she accidentally injures Lydia Dingle…

As the dramatic week begins, the Tates are still determined to get their hands on Moira's land, and they know she's crying out for cash to pay off the hefty fine she incurred for the slurry leak.

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Ignoring Joe's confidence that Butler's will soon be part of the Tate empire, Moira stands firm on the fact that her business, and her home, are not for sale – which she tells Joe in no uncertain terms.

Frustrated Joe later reveals to lover Dawn Fletcher that he has a sneaky plan to make Moira change her mind. And over at Butler's, something sinister is afoot…

"Moira's working and Kyle and Isaac are playing football outside," explains Natalie J Robb, who plays the farmer. "Kyle hears something in the barn, so goes in and sees two guys with balaclavas on. It's quite frightening.

"Kyle grabs the first thing he sees, which is a pitchfork, and these lads start threatening him. He panics and accidentally stabs one of them in the leg with the pitchfork – then Moira comes in with a shotgun."

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Having scared off the scallies and foiled a break-in at the barn, Moira tries to calm her shaken kids as they reel from the unsettling incident.

The mum is maddened to see her sons so upset, and reckons she knows exactly who was behind the whole thing…

"Moira thinks Joe sent the guys to threaten her and she reckons it's a step too far," shares Robb. "Kyle is traumatised because of what happened with him shooting Al in the barn, it brings it all up. So she tells the police she thinks it was Joe. No one threatens her children!"

The cops are soon on the case, but when they can't find enough evidence to pin it on the Tates, sheepish PC Swirling must inform Moira that the boys in blue are dropping the investigation.

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This maddens Moira even more, and she decides to confront smug Joe herself. Marching up to Home Farm to have it out with him, she's ready for a fight.

"Moira accuses Joe of putting her children in danger," reveals Robb. "It turns out he was actually nothing to do with the break-in, but he makes a comment that angers Moira and she goes for him."

Lashing out, Moira goes to punch Joe as a warning to stay away from her family. Lydia is up at Home Farm working and tries to defuse the ding-dong, but as she steps in to stop Moira giving Joe a Glasgow kiss, she gets caught in the crossfire herself.

"Lydia jumps in front of Moira and gets accidentally punched in the ear," Natalie explains. "It's quite horrific. Moira is devastated she's done this to Lydia – this is bound to cause more trouble between the Dingles."

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Indeed it does, as Moira later faces the consequences of her aggressive actions when she is arrested for assault.

Not wanting his wife to end up in prison, Cain Dingle collars Lydia and puts pressure on his sister-in-law not to press charges for the accidental attack.

When word gets back to Sam Dingle that Cain has practically threatened Lydia to keep schtum, he's fuming that his sibling has put the frighteners on his wife – as if Moira whacking her wasn't bad enough.

Cain and Sam are soon at loggerheads over the situation, and when the brothers come face to face in The Woolpack, a tense showdown ensues.

cain dingle, sam dingle, moira dingle, emmerdale

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"Cain just makes the whole thing worse," says Natalie. "Moira desperately tries to encourage him to eat humble pie and say sorry to Lydia and Sam so they can sort this out, otherwise this could become a family feud within the Dingles."

Any kind of reconciliation seems unlikely as Cain accuses Sam of siding with the Tates over Moira's moment of madness. He issues a stark ultimatum to Sam to think long and hard about his loyalty to the Dingles, or else he'll be cast out of the clan.

Could Moira's uncontrollable fury end up destroying the Dingles from within?