escort. Her stepmother, Janice, is disgusted. When Leanne starts dating Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier), Janice insists she choose between a loving relationship and her new career. Leanne is shocked to find her new client is Liam's brother, Paul (Sean Gallagher) and he threatens to tell Liam so she threatens to tell his wife, Carla Connor (Alison King). Following the incident with Paul, Leanne chooses to buy a restaurant with Carla, who pulls out after learning that Leanne is an escort and met Paul once. Refusing to believe that they did not sleep together, Carla leaves Leanne £10,000 in debt and dumps Paul. An angry Paul kidnaps Leanne, putting her in the boot of his car before accidentally crashing into a truck. Leanne suffers minor injuries but Paul is killed. Carla tells Liam about Leanne's escorting so he ends their relationship. Leanne borrows £10,000 she needs from Janice's plumber boyfriend Roger Stiles (Andrew Dunn), and pays him back throughout the year. Leanne hires Paul Clayton (Tom Hudson) as a chef and he develops feelings for her, which she rejects. However, after realising that Valandro's is losing money, she and Paul burn the restaurant down for the insurance money in March 2008. Leanne sleeps with Paul to persuade him to torch the restaurant, which he does on 31 March 2008. Meanwhile, Leanne is dating Dan Mason (Matthew Crompton). When the police question her and Paul about the fire, Dan gives her an alibi. Paul, however, is arrested and released on bail, but goes on the run to avoid being imprisoned. In September, Dan needs £10,000 to buy the betting shop from his father, Harry (Jack Ellis), and Leanne offers him the money after Janice won £25,000 in a lottery scam. However, when Dan learned where the money came from, he breaks up with Leanne. Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) returns to the Street with his five-year-old son, Simon (Alex Bain), and buys the betting shop. On 17 December 2008, a drunken Peter tries to kiss Leanne but she rejects him. However, she forgives him when he promises to give up alcohol and they start dating. In early 2009, Peter struggles to stay sober and starts a rehabilitation programme which Leanne supports, running the betting shop in his absence. Leanne thinks that he is having an affair and confronts him in the Rovers, but is mortified to learn that he was planning to propose.