Emmerdale’s Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) were left reeling after social media sleuths invaded their home to investigate April Windsor’s (Amelia Flanagan) disappearance on Friday.
The teenager went missing over Christmas after she discovered how her mum Donna Windsor (Verity Rushworth) died from her old love interest Ross Barton (Michael Parr).
After recording an appeal video to help with the search for his daughter, Marlon had become a target for internet trolls, who flooded the comments with disparaging words and theories.
Things went even further on Friday when the ITV soap explored the rising real-life phenomenon of amateur internet detectives trying to solve cases – often at harm or distress to other people.
After stepping in to help Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) at the vets, Rhona was tricked by two internet sleuths posing as clients, who managed to sneak into her and Marlon’s house next door.
Rhona was horrified when she caught them filming a live stream from April’s bedroom for their followers and managed to throw them out.
She was hugely shaken by the incident with Marlon rushing home to comfort his wife – but will the footage the amateur sleuths captured case them further anguish?
The couple have received much support from the villagers, who have rallied round to try and track down April, amid growing fears for her safety and wellbeing.
Mark recently said of the storyline: ‘There’s a village-wide concern because they all know her really well. Everybody knows each other well and it’s so out of character.
‘It escalates, this storyline, so this is just the beginning.’
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1 or stream first from 7am on ITVX.
