Emmerdale fans were left reaching for the tissues after Monday’s episode (July 1) saw little Isaac Dingle heartbroken over the death of his beloved lamb, Minty.

Back in May, viewers watched with a heavy heart as Moira and Cain Dingle fretted about their son’s bond with Minty the lamb, who was destined for the dinner table. Despite the grim reality, soft-hearted Cain let Isaac keep the orphaned farm animal.

Fast forward to the latest drama from the Yorkshire Dales, and poor Isaac was gutted to discover his woolly chum had kicked the bucket. This sad discovery came just as Moira and Cain locked horns over Matty, following Cain’s ‘man up’ advice to him in prison for accidently knifing Samson Dingle.

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The Dingles have been at loggerheards since Matty got nicked, with Moira adamant her boy’s no stabber. Cain initially backed her, but as his support waned, the couple started clashing.

With the tension simmering, Cain admitted he’d paid Matty a visit, while Moira was in bits fearing other lags would suss out Matty is trans, reports the Express.

Cain tried to calm her down, insisting his chat with Matty was top-notch and she needn’t fret. But Moira wasn’t having any of it, accusing Cain of not caring about Matty and demanding he step up.

As the pair continued their spat, Isaac burst in, distraught, blurting out, “It’s Minty. He’s dead”, before diving into Moira’s arms for a sob.

As the emotional episode unfolded, Cain tried to comfort Isaac as they went to see Minty. “But I don’t want him to be dead”, the youngster heartbreakingly confessed to his father.

Moira attempted to help her son grasp the concept of the lamb’s sudden demise, assuring him, “You know most orphaned lambs don’t live as long as Minty”, as Isaac affirmed his love for his pet.

Cain responded by telling Isaac he should take pride in making Minty’s short life such a joy, ending with a family embrace. Back at home, Moira and Cain found common ground over Isaac’s anguish, setting their differences aside.

Cain praised Moira’s excellent mothering skills and the pair apologised for their recent behaviour towards each other.

“Death has a weird way of putting things into perspective”, she told her husband, leading to a reunion.

However, Emmerdale viewers were quick to predict that Tom King intentionally killed the Dingle’s beloved lamb.

Despite pretending to be immobile from his barn accident last week and using a wheelchair, his unsuspecting wife Belle remains out of the loop regarding his villainous antics.

But fans suspect that Tom’s behavior is worsening, even suggesting he deliberately killed Minty in a malicious act. One social media user commented: “So clearly, Tom killed Minty, so clearly Tom should be killed #Emmerdale.”