EMMERDALE'S Dr Liam Cavanagh was left with a nasty surprise when he was whacked over the head with a piece of wood in a shock attack.

It is the THIRD major head injury the GP has suffered in just weeks as he continues to fall victim to a slew of unfortunate events.

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In the latest episode of Emmerdale, fans watched as Liam found himself clubbed around the head before being left knocked out on the floor.

Whilst Liam was left with no clue as to who caused his injuries, fans of the ITV soap opera witnessed John Sugden commit the unprovoked attack.

John has been left seething with Liam after he demoted him from working with patients in the medical centre to being the receptionist after he made a huge error with one of the patients.

Whilst John is an army medic, his lack of training for a GP surgery led Liam to make the decision for the time being.

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But this rattled John who has been left desperate to get his old job back in a bid to prove his worth.

Fans know he has a 'hero complex' and is fixated on saving people in order to be looked upon favourably.

It swung right back into action when John made sure he was conveniently able to be called upon by Liam's worried fiance Chas who begged for his medical help.

John then rushed with her to the scene in order to treat Liam who was left admitting he was none the wiser as to who brutally assaulted him from behind.

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Sheepish John managed to remain calm with no one appearing to have any clear or obvious reason to suspect him of foul play.

It comes just weeks after John purposefully made Jacob Gallagher have an allergic reaction to a drink in order to save him.

John tampered with two coffees in order to ensure nut allergic Jacob drank from a cup with almond milk before switching the labels back as to not raise suspicion.

It saw Jacob collapse before John was able to revive him amid the horror ordeal.

Meanwhile, for Liam, this is his third attack in less than two months.

In February, he suffered a traumatic brain injury during the limo crash on the frozen lake which saw him raced to hospital.

Then, just weeks later, he found himself involved in a woodland scuffle with Ella Forster.

Now, with his latest attack - Liam will begin to suspect that someone is really out to get him.

But when will the Dales residents discover that John is truly responsible?

Biggest soap stunts

By Conor O'Brien

Soaps are no stranger to dramatic stunts in the storylines. Not only do these moments create a spectacle for viewers, they also fundamentally change characters' lives.

Here is a look at some of the biggest soap stunts from over the years.

CORONATION STREET

• Tram crash (2010): The ITV soap marked its 50th anniversary with a intense tram crash - and live episode to boot. Overall, the crash and its effects were broadcast across a week in December 2010. Its resulting chaos saw regular characters Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) die.
• Richard Hillman tries to kill the Platts (2003): Of all the men unlucky-in-love Gail tied the knot with, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) is probably the one she regrets most in hindsight. In 2003, murderer Richard tried to kill his step-family: first by gassing them with car fumes and then driving Gail (Helen Worth), Sarah (Tina O'Brien), David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Bethany (Amy and Emily Walton) into a canal.

EASTENDERS

• Queen Vic fire (2010): In September 2010, EastEnders bid farewell to matriarch Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) as a permanent fixture on the soap - she returned as a guest before the character's death in 2016. In the build-up to her initial exit, Peggy had trapped crack cocaine-addicted son Phil (Steve McFadden) in the Queen Vic. However, he escaped and set the boozer on fire.
• Bus crash (2017): In April 2017, a total of 11 Albert Square residents had their lives at risk in a terrifying bus crash. The stunt saw a double decker bus - the 764 to Barking - lose control and crash through the Albert Square market before hitting a low-level bridge. Notable passengers at the time included Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper).

EMMERDALE

• James Barton's death (2016): Interestingly about James' (Bill Ward) death was that it came in a spiral of events. After wife Emma (Gillian Kearney) locked James up in a jealous rage, he escaped and they tussled on a bridge over the bypass. Emma pushed him and James fell into traffic, in turn causing a 12-vehicle pile up, As well as James dying, key characters including Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) were injured.

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