Emmerdale shock as beloved character is killed off after 16 years

EMMERDALE fans are in shock as Heath Hope was killed in a brutal New Year’s episode.

The teenager died instantly in a car crash caused by his joyriding twin sister Cathy Hope.

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With Heath in the backseat with his guitar and Angelica in the front passenger seat, Cathy was getting increasingly out of control.

But not realising the signs, Heath encouraged her to go faster to get them to the party on time.

Meanwhile back at the B&B, an on-call Wendy finally realised her car keys - and the car - had disappeared.

Realising that Cathy had taken the car, the parents began to panic and with good reason.

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With all their phones ringing and Heath and Angelica demanding she go faster, Cathy began to speed up.

But disaster struck and they crashed and were left helpless.

Having received the address of the party from April, Bob and Wendy set off after them to drag them home.

Though instead they found the car wreckage.

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Cathy and Angelica were both covered in cuts, bruises and blood as Bob desperately searched for son Heath.

But it wasn’t good news. 

He found his young son slumped in the back of the car with the door trapped.

Wendy rushed over and tried to rouse him but quickly realised he wasn’t breathing.

Taking him out of the car, they laid him down to begin CPR.

Bob begged Heath to hold on but Wendy realised he had already died but she continued.

“Oh please no, not my son,” cried Bob as Wendy broke the news.

The ambulance arrived and rushed them all to the hospital where Brenda and Eric met them - and it was Bob who broke the news to Brenda.

“He’s gone,” Bob said sobbing. “Brenda, our little boy is dead.”

Later the parents were spoken to by police with them warning them that Cathy could be in trouble for what she’s done - and Bob couldn’t even look at his daughter.

But ITV viewers couldn’t believe that Heath has died with the character being in the village since his birth almost 17 years ago.

One wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "#Emmerdale Don't kill Heath! Please!" along with a crying emoji.

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A second fumed: "HUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH???????? OHHHH COME ONNNNNNN... THEY'VE KILLED OFF HEATH!????"

Another added: "No way. Heath is dead???"

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