Joe McIntyre has had a hard time since arriving in Coronation Street and his life is not set to get any easier.

We have recently seen Joe laid up with back trouble and soon it will become obvious that he is hooked on the prescription painkillers he has been taking. As Joe becomes desperate to obtain more of the super strength drugs, he becomes abusive with poor old Gail, who never seems set to land a decent man!

A show source told The Sun: “Everyone knows that heroin and cocaine can ruin lives, but addiction to prescription drugs is rife and rips respectable families apart. Most soaps have featured illegal drug addiction but painkiller addiction is almost unheard of.

“It will highlight a real issue for modern Britain as viewers see the terrible effect Joe’s addiction has on Gail and daughter Tina.”