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SPOILER ALERT: Ashley Thomas set to HIT baby Max as heartbreaking Emmerdale dementia storyline takes a dramatic turn

Published: 19:15 EST, 13 December 2016 | Updated: 19:37 EST, 13 December 2016

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Emmerdale fans are set for hard-hitting and emotional scenes this Christmas.

Viewers of the ITV soap will see Ashley Thomas' dementia storyline take a dramatic turn as the vicar lashes out at his baby son Max in a moment of panic and confusion.

Charlotte Bellamy, who plays Ashley’s wife Laurel, revealed she will be forced to lock their child away in a bid to keep him safe.

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Heartbreaking: Emmerdale viewers will see Ashley Thomas' dementia storyline take a dramatic turn as the vicar lashes out at his baby son Max in a moment of panic and confusion

She told Best magazine: Ashley hits baby Max, but it’s only accidental, and Laurel is thinking, "I must keep my family together."

'But everyone around her – her dad, Doug and Diane – are saying, "You can’t stay, you’re unsafe" and finally she thinks the only she can do is keep Max in a room so he’s safe, because got to go across the road and get some nappies.

'The audience will understand her situation and feel some frustration, but it’s not quite as simple as that, because she does it again and something awful happens.'

Tough: Charlotte Bellamy, who plays Ashley’s wife Laurel revealed she will be forced to lock their child away in a bid to keep him safe

She told Best magazine: 'Ashley hits baby Max, but it’s only accidental, and Laurel is thinking, "I must keep my family together"'

A special, one-off episode airing on December 20 is set to break new ground, showcasing the world from Ashley's perspective.

A trailer for the upcoming scenes sees confused Ashley walking through a hospital, unsure where he is and what he's doing.

He muses: 'Where was I going? Was I visiting someone? Yes, that was it. No, I was leaving.

Hard hitting: A special, one-off episode airing on December 20 is set to break new ground, showcasing the world from Ashley's perspective

Trailer: A short promo for the upcoming scenes sees confused Ashley walking through a hospital, unsure where he is and what he's doing

Despite the upsetting nature of the episode, actor John Middleton admitted there would be a 'happy surprise' for viewers on Christmas Day.

'He has a sort of slight awakening on Christmas Day, to do with the circumstances of the day itself – the service in the church, things like that', he told The Sun's TV magazine.

'What we’re trying to do is see inside Ashley’s head – how it is for him and the way in which he perceives the world.'