Coronation Street's loveable vicar Billy Mayhew will be exposed as a killer.

Daniel Brocklebank and his co-star Rob Mallard

Daniel Brocklebank and his co-star Rob Mallard

The gentle soul - portrayed by Daniel Brocklebank - is set to confess to his boyfriend Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley) over the next coming weeks that he killed Ken Barlow's (William Roache) daughter Susan - even though it had previously been believed that she had passed away in a tragic motorway accident in 2001.

An insider told The Sun newspaper: "Billy is one of the nicest men on the Street, and fans see him as a mild-mannered voice of reason in amongst all the chaos.

"But in the coming weeks, fans will discover there is much more to Billy than previously thought - and he's been harbouring a dark secret.

"For 16 years he's been wracked by guilt knowing that he killed Susan, and finally things come to a head as he reveals to Todd he caused the accident when she died."

It's believed the tragic storyline will run right up to 2018 - with the heartbreaking revelation set to come out on the cobbles over the festive season.

The source explained: "It's heartbreaking for him, and he tells how he now has to suffer the agony of living alongside the family he caused so much pain to all those years ago. It's going to be a huge storyline this Christmas."

The heartbreaking revelation will no doubt come as a huge shock to viewers as Billy - who joined the street in 2014 - has become a fan favourite over the years.

The vicar has certainly had his fair share of bumpy rides over the years though, as he first found love with Sean Tully (Antony Cotton) after meeting in a nightclub, but later developed feelings for the barman's pal Todd and was forced to come clean.

A spokeswoman for the show said: "We do not comment on storyline speculation."