CORONATION Street murderer Richard Hillman today continues his killing spree today but his own days could be numbered.Tonight the evil charmer claims his latest victim and sparks a massive manhunt but Woodbridge actor Brian Capron has admitted he would love to see his character killed off for good.

By Jo Macdonald

CORONATION Street murderer Richard Hillman today continues his killing spree today but his own days could be numbered.

Tonight the evil charmer claims his latest victim and sparks a massive manhunt but Woodbridge actor Brian Capron has admitted he would love to see his character killed off for good.

Brian is set to leave the show in a climactic finale in the coming weeks in which it is believed Richard's wife Gail rumbles his murder spree and confronts him.

"I would like him to die. I don't want to draw it out," said 55-year-old Brian, who was born in Eye Hospital and spent many years living in Theatre Street, Woodbridge.

"At the end of last summer I had a chat about where the character was going. I said I don't ever want there ever to be a situation where people go 'he used to be really good that Richard'. I don't ever want to let it slip."

He said Richard's departure "will trump everything" and added: "I haven't had specific detail about it but they've kind of given me a broad hint."

Richard will tonight be seen covering his tracks by framing Aidan Critchley for the murder he commits, a killing he thinks will help him get his hands on desperately needed cash.

The dastardly businessman slips unnoticed from a party at the Rovers Return to commit his crime, returning just minutes later hoping fellow drinkers will provide him with an alibi.

"This is Richard's first really premeditated, calculated killing. He's very clever, he really thinks it through," said Brian. "It's pretty gruesome.'

Richard's past victims have been his first wife Patricia, when she threatened bring his world crashing down, and his business associate Duggie, whom he left to die. He also schemed to kill Audrey but that was abandoned after she realised what he was doing and changed her will.

Producers have done their utmost to keep a lid on the latest victim's identity, although viewers know he hopes to bump off Emily Bishop to get his hands on her home under a business deal. However someone else - possibly Maxine or Toyah - may get in his way.

In an Evening Star web poll it was Maxine who came out as the most likely victim with 29 per cent of votes. Toyah came in second with 17 pc, Emily 16pc, Norris 15 pc, Archie 12 pc and Jack and Vera 11 pc.

Brian said the scenes he has filmed as Richard are the most disturbing of his three-decade acting career during which he has starred as a teacher in Grange Hill and appeared on the Wolsey Theatre stage. However, he denies that his two-faced character is pure evil.

"He's a really nice man with a character flaw," Brian joked. "He's just your everyday schizophrenic psychopath."

* Coronation Street is broadcast at 7.30pm and 8.30pm tonight. See TV guide on pages 22 and 23 for details.

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