Emmerdale viewers reckon they’ve have rumbled what baddie Tom King is plotting to do next to Belle Dingle – and it’s got them seriously creeped out.

Soap legend Belle (played by Eden Taylor-Droper) has been at the heart of a harrowing domestic abuse storyline with her hubby Tom (portrayed by James Chase) this year.

The pair, who were old flames, reignited their love last year and quickly got hitched. But fans have watched in horror as Carl King’s son (Tom Lister) turned into an abuser.

Tom’s twisted actions spiralled when he found out Belle had aborted their baby. She tried to cover it up with a miscarriage lie, but when Tom discovered the truth, he flew into a rage.

Tom has caused plenty of drama (Image: (Image: ITV))

And now, Tom’s latest wicked plan involves whisking Belle away to Wales, cutting her off from her nearest and dearest. Next week’s episodes are set to be even more intense, with a special flashback-filled episode focusing on Tom and Belle.

But Emmerdale enthusiasts are convinced Tom’s got an even more vile move up his sleeve for Belle. Fans on Reddit have been voicing their dread over a potential sexual assault storyline.

One concerned viewer posted: “You don’t have to watch it next week if you find it uncomfortable viewing as it will be distressing and I’m sure ITV will warn everyone before the episode starts. I’m telling you Tom will go to extreme lengths to keep Belle all to himself.”

Someone else chimed in with the concerned comment: “Urgh. He’s going to rape her, isn’t he? ” While another onlooker expressed anxiety, writing: “I didn’t think of that but you could be right. He is probably desperate to get her pregnant again.” (sic)

And yet another added their two cents, writing: “It’s bad enough they are dragging this storyline out til the end of the year. But another Rape Storyline is too much right now.” (sic)

The Emmerdale plot thickens as soap boss Laura Shaw has let slip when the grim storyline is expected to wrap up. Spilling the beans on the saga’s duration, show producer Laura confessed to Metro: “We said right from the beginning that we wanted to tell this story as authentically and truthfully as we can.”

“For many sufferers of domestic abuse, it’s tragically an ordeal that doesn’t end after a few short weeks, something that the series aims to capture,” she admitted.

Moreover, she revealed: “I think you can expect that this storyline is going to run until the end of this year.”