Eric Pollard

A wily old fox, Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) found his match in fifth wife Val: they're not always good together, but they're worse apart.

Marriages Eileen Pollard (divorced), Elizabeth Feldmann (deceased), Dee de la Cruz (divorced), Gloria Weaver (divorced), Valerie Lambert

Children David

1986 Employed as the new manager of Hotten Market and tells everyone he's an ex-Army officer.

1987 Sacked from Hotten Market for fiddling the books and threatens colleague Sandie Merrick, who ratted on him. Tries to burgle Marian Wilks.

1988 Blackmails Nick Bates to get his hands on some of the money Nick had stolen in a Post Office raid. Nick shops him for stealing antique fireplaces, but there's not enough evidence to send him down.

1990 Fleeced by scheming fiancée Debbie Wilson, who makes off with cash and antiques.

1992 Marries fish and game manager Elizabeth Feldmann in October but fails to mention he's still married to a woman called Eileen!

1993 Business rival Steve Marchant tampers with his brakes but he's rescued from the burning car. Wife Elizabeth discovers a cheque fraud scam and threatens to expose him but dies when a plane crashes on the village.

1994 Wife Eileen turns up and tries to blackmail him over his bigamy. Stepson Michael accuses him of murdering his mum Elizabeth to prevent her revealing all about the fraud.

1997 Meets Dee on a trip to the Philippines and they marry in May.

1998 Dee leaves him and returns to Philippines after he discovers she's been having an affair with younger man Will Cairns.

2001 Exploits vulnerable widow Gloria Weaver but they later become a couple. Gloria walks out with his cash when he refuses to marry her but he misses her.

2002 Bumps into Gloria and impulsively proposes. Runs for Mayor. Gloria encourages him to sleep with councillor Glynis Hardy the night before their wedding to win the campaign. Woos Glynis again to gain her support when he tries to become an MP. Glynis calls his bluff and Gloria runs for election instead and wins.

2003 Left lonely while Gloria takes her seat in London. Manipulated by the devious Steph Stokes who wrecks his marriage. An upset Gloria goes missing and is presumed dead.

2004 Assumes Gloria has committed suicide but she's alive and well on a tropical island and has cleaned out all his accounts!

2005 Val Lambert gets her claws into him and moves in.

2006 Re-elected as Mayor. David Metcalfe arrives and claims that Pollard is his father. Pollard has a DNA test done but it's negative.

2007 The test was faulty and a new test proves positive. David secretly embezzles Pollard's funds in revenge for money Pollard once took from David's mum. Kidnapped by the Dingles to prevent him outbidding Marlon and Donna Dingle at a house auction. Gets engaged to Val.

2008 Kissed by Rosalind May, wife of a councillor, and is then blackmailed with pictures - by Rosalind! Marries Val on 3 June on the cheap and she's not happy. His factory's burned down by Sam Dingle, who thinks cash-strapped Pollard wants to claim on the insurance.

2009 Under stress at work, he has a heart attack and loses council election to David. Recession forces him to close factory. Buys into B&B with Val.

2010 Falls down the B&B stairs when he goes to investigate a burglary. Eric and Val buy Terry out of the B&B and move in. Is stalked by someone. Turns out to be his late ex-wife Elizabeth's son Michael. Reveals to Val that he planned on killing her - until the plane disaster got to her first.

Played by Chris Chittell

Chris was born in Aldershot, Hampshire on May 19 1948 and his father was in the Indian Army. He joined the National Theatre Company in London when he was 15 and was auditioned by stage legend Sir Laurence Olivier. He later worked with the likes of... Read More