SPOILER ALERT: EastEnders' Peter Beale turns to cocaine after year from hell
IT'S been a tough year for Peter Beale but the worse is yet to come when he turns to drugs after hitting rock bottom.
Peter Beale takes cocaine to block out the pain of loosing his sister Lucy
Peter, played by Ben Hardy, is in a downward spiral after the tragic death of his twin sister Lucy.
The loss continues to have an enormous effect on Peter's well-being.
The market-trader has spent most the year struggling to come to terms with his grief but he feels particularly vulnerable as his 21st birthday approaches next month.
He is devastated to not be sharing the milestone with Lucy, and in a desperate attempt to block out his pain Peter takes cocaine.
An EastEnders insider confirmed Peter's cocaine use to Digital Spy, but assured that his bad decision will be a one-off and won't lead to an ongoing drugs issue.
Ben Hardy who plays Peter Beale
But Peter's decision could still be quite destructive.
If his dad Ian finds out, his actions could prove to be an upsetting reminder of Lucy's final days, when she was also taking cocaine before her death.
Ian was devastated by Lucy's drug use, and in their final moments together they argued about her dark secret.
In a moment of anger Lucy told Ian that she wished he wasn't her father.
Despite later telling her that she was the child he was most proud of, Ian has been struggling to come to terms with the way their relationship ended ever since.
Lucy's murderer is still on the loose, with everyone on the Square potentially a suspect.
Their identity will be revealed during a special live episode in February to celebrate the soaps' 30th anniversary.
The actor playing the killer will only being notified that it was their character a month in advance.