Emmerdale - Val Pollard will hatch her craziest scheme ever as she vows to fake her own death.

Val starts making plans to disappear forever as she desperately searches for an escape from her current legal predicament.

The outspoken character, who bows out from the ITV soap next month, is currently in deep trouble with the law after her recent attempt to defraud the bank was discovered.

Things go from bad to worse for Val next week when the stress of the situation leads to her husband Eric suffering a shock collapse.

When Tracy Shankley pays a visit to Eric at the hospital and jokes about his life insurance, Val is suddenly hit with a brainwave and secretly vows to start a whole new life using a new identity.

Val is under pressure

Charlie Hardwick, who plays Val, explained: "Val is absolutely beside herself over everything that's happened. She thought that tricking the bank was just a bit of a laugh and she was just helping Bob out. I don't think Val quite understood the gravity of the situation. She's terrified now because she doesn't want to go to prison. When Eric suffers his health scare, that's also a reality check. She fears that her husband might die as a consequence of the tension, so she knows she will have to come up with something to solve the problem. Once Tracy makes her comment about Eric's life insurance, that's when the cogs start to whir for Val. She wonders if there's another way out of this."

Will Eric assist Val with her plan?

As Val considers her options, she draws inspiration from past Emmerdale character Shelley Williams, who met a watery end in 2005.

Val even goes as far as planning her own funeral, writing an emotional eulogy which Eric could give at the service.

Hardwick continued: "Because Shelley fell off a ferry years ago, Val decides that the same thing could happen to her and 'the body' would never be found. Eric could pretend to be upset and go off to live abroad, and they can meet in Mexico. Val doesn't think that anything could go wrong, but Eric thinks she's absolutely crackers. There's another reality check for Val when Eric points out that she'll never be able to tell anyone else the truth. Val says she will after a bit, but he explains that if you fake your death you have to cut off all links with everybody. I think that's a bit of a fright to her. Val is being totally serious, though. I think the audience will think it's quite funny but she's absolutely rock solid serious about this!"

Pollard reluctantly reads Val's eulogy out-loud

Airs next week