Tracy Barlow meets her match

Coronation Street's Tracy Barlow will meet her match when she bags a date with sleazy Frank Foster.

The feisty femme fatale - played by actress Kate Ford - will ensnare the brutal businessman before he has a chance to hear about her terrible reputation.

However, Frank (Andrew Lancel) is being equally deceptive and hiding the shameful secret that he tried to sexually assault Maria Connor (Samia Smith), but the brunette beauty wastes no time in letting Tracy know exactly what her new man is like.

A 'Coronation Street' insider revealed: "There may be no love lost between Maria and Tracy, but she wouldn't wish what Frank did to her on her worst enemy. Maria feels she has a duty to warn Tracy in case he tries the same thing with her.

"She couldn't live with herself if something awful happened and she'd done nothing to stop it."

Instead of taking Maria's earnest advice, loudmouth Tracy goes running straight to slippery Frank and tells him exactly what she has said, something which Maria's bolshie boss Carla Connor (Alison King) is unlikely to be too thrilled about.

The source added to Inside Soap magazine: "Frank's furious that Maria's warned Tracy off him. He storms over to the factory and warns Carla that, unless she keeps Maria under control, their business deal is off.

"Carla really needs this contract and can't afford to lose it because of Maria's personal issues with Frank. She makes her feelings perfectly clear by letting rip at Maria. Carla would have no qualms about sacking her from the job if that was the best thing for the business."