Hollyoaks star Anthony Quinlan has hinted that Tom Cunningham could be at the centre of a custody battle in a forthcoming storyline.

Tom's guardian Steph Roach died in the soap's Il Gnosh blaze earlier this month, leaving the youngster's future uncertain as Quinlan's character Gilly and the rest of Steph's loved ones struggle to cope with her passing.

Speaking to Inside Soap, Quinlan admitted: "Everyone keeps asking me if Gilly's going to be the one to look after Tom.

"It's not a foregone conclusion, though, and there are going to be a few twists and turns where his custody is concerned. There could be quite a battle ahead!"

Last month, Tom's half-sister Mandy (Sarah Jayne Dunn) arrived back in the village and tension developed when she told Steph's mother Frankie (Helen Pearson) that she wanted to start taking care of him.

Since then, however, Mandy has been caught up in the drama of Warren Fox's (Jamie Lomas) return and her intentions as far as Tom is concerned are currently unclear.