Muriel Fielding was a severe-looking woman who was married to Bill Fielding. When Bill stole £5 from her purse to go on a night out to the Lord Nelson pub and didn't come home in April 1981, Muriel followed his trail and found out from a barmaid there that he'd gone off with Elsie Tanner. Well aware of Elsie's reputation as a tart, Muriel went straight to 11 Coronation Street and caught Bill about to leave the house. Bill tried to fob her off by claiming it was a mate's house but Muriel, assuming Elsie was his regular fancy piece, tore him off a strip and called him an animal. Bill called Muriel a dried up old bitch and left the house, and a scorned Muriel vented her fury on Elsie's house and her possessions, smashing and tearing what she could find.