out volunteer work in Tanzania. Ashley fails to stop her with a proposal of marriage. When Laurel returns, she agrees to marry Ashley. They face problems when Bishop George Postlethwaite (Peter Cartwright), refuses them permission to marry. He makes it clear Ashley's love life has put his position in question. Ashley quits his job but realizes he cannot cope without the church. Laurel tells Ashley that she will wait to marry him. Curate Ethan becomes Laurel's confidant but falls in love with her. He makes advances on Laurel but she does not reciprocate and lets him down gently but Ethan tells George that they had kissed. When George discovers Ethan lied, he gives Laurel and Ashley his blessing and carries out their wedding ceremony. Laurel helps Ashley reconnect with his widower elderly father Sandy Thomas (Freddie Jones). When Nicola leaves the village, she struggles with the workload and her new parish duties. She sells her business to David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) but clashes with Ashley's niece, Jasmine Thomas (Jenna-Louise Coleman). They eventually bond after a difficult start. However, Laurel is upset when Jasmine's friends, Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) and Daz Eden (Luke Tittensor), accidentally set fire to the vicarage, seeing her lose everything. Laurel later discovers that she is pregnant. Laurel's parents, Douglas (Duncan Preston) and Hilary Potts (Paula Wilcox), visit her but are involved in a car accident on the way home. Laurel decides to look after them. Upon her return, she goes into labour whilst locked in the church, with only Shadrach Dingle (Andy Devine) for help. Shadrach rings the church bell to attract attention. When she gives birth to a boy named Daniel in hospital, she meets Melanie Doland (Caroline Strong), who also has a baby boy. Laurel finds Daniel dead in his cot. Laurel is distraught and lashes out at those closest to her. She stays with Betty so she doesn't have to see Ashley and later kisses Greg. Ashamed, she goes home but Hilary begins suspecting that Arthur Doland is Laurel's son and sets out to prove there was a mix up at the hospital. Laurel feels like she is betraying Daniel and refuses to believe it. Ashley goes for custody when Arthur is proved to be their son but Mel runs away with Arthur briefly, but returns him. Ashley tells Laurel that he will raise Arthur alone if she does not attend the custody