After hounding him for weeks over the death of her husband, Maria Connor soon makes a truce with Tony Gordon after realising he is on the brink of a mental breakdown.

Tony hits the bottle when Carla leaves him, and turns up at Liams grave when Maria is there to mark their first wedding anniversary.

He says to her:

“I’m really sorry Maria. I thought you’d have been and gone by now. I just wanted to pay my respects.

“I am so sorry Maria‚ for all of us. You two should be having a candlelit dinner celebrating 12 great months together.

“As God is my witness Maria, I really wish Liam was alive and kicking and your baby had a father.

“I wish that Carla had loved me instead of loving Liam. I’d have even settled for being third best.”

She replies: “I can picture him in there you know.

“His perfect little face, his hands folded across his chest, that gorgeous kink in his hair and that cute little mole on his back.”

A soap insider told The Daily Star: “The thawing of the relationship between Maria and Tony will be another intriguing twist in the continuing saga of justice for Liam.

“Tony’s feelings of guilt and remorse will also get worse as it fully sinks in just how much hurt and heartache he’s caused by having Liam killed.”