"Cain has met his match!" Jeff Hordley on how Malone is shaking up Emmerdale

The nasty newcomer is the latest in a long line of corrupt police officers that seem to inhabit Hotten nick (remember abusive DI Bails?) and has the hard men of the village running scared thanks to his virtual control of the local criminal underworld.

Through his shady history with reformed gangster Will Taylor, Malone has dragged Cain and Billy Fletcher into his nefarious scams but Mr Dingle is desperate to banish the baddie and involved in a risky game of one-upmanship - even Hordley thinks he's out of his depth…

"Cain has met his match," says the actor, who recently marked 20 years on screen as Cain. "Whatever hurdle Cain is trying to get over, there is always another one Malone will throw at him.

"Malone has connections and always covers himself because he knows people very high up. He's so bent as a cop he can make things happen and wriggle out of anything."

Cain believes he has collateral over the crooked cad in the shape of a car Malone asked them to dispose of that contains suspicious traces of blood. However, when the dastardly detective finds out his lackeys kept hold of potentially incriminating evidence against him, the situation escalates. Billy is set up and arrested for assault, but what revenge has Malone got in mind for Cain?

"Malone is always getting one up," continues Hordley. "Viewers will really love him, or love to hate him! Mark is playing it really well, he has a great angle on the character. He's always finishing a scene with this great look!

"Cain's fans will like seeing him challenged by someone and I am pleased to get an adversary, I've not had one for a while."

While the Dingle dad is still a force to be reckoned with he's a much calmer and less impetuous presence than he was when he arrived in 2000, but Hordley hints Malone may bring out aspects of his personality that have been buried.

"You'll see Cain revert to his old self as this rivalry plays out. He'll have to dig deep to overcome Malone, and be in charge of Will and Billy. Cain has to take control of the situation."

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