Ray Connell

Ray Connell was a police officer who along with colleagues Emma Taylor, Paul Reece and their respective partners, went out as a party of six for celebratory drinks in October 2000 to mark the end of their firearms training.

Emma's partner Curly Watts, already concerned that her life could be put in danger, listened uncomfortably as Ray's wife Claire and Paul's wife Margaret initially made light of the fact that they could be rich widows if anything untoward happened to their husbands and was further worried when Paul admitted that it wasn't uncommon these days for criminals to be armed - with half of the area's robberies not even being reported in the Weatherfield Gazette.

Trying to allay Curly's fears, Emma explained that their training contained modules regarding risk assessment - not wholly about shooting - and casually commented that even if they did get an armed response call, the chances of using a gun would be pretty remote.