Ashley Thomas

Ashley Thomas is the son of Sandy Thomas, husband of Laurel Thomas and the father of Gabby, Arthur and Dotty Thomas.

Storylines
In 2001 Ashley's daughter Gabrielle was born to a selfish Bernice Blackstock who always puts herself before her own daughter. During an argument with Ashley, Bernice goes into labor. When she is taken to hospital, she gives birth to a baby girl, who she names Gabrielle Thomas. At first Bernice thinks Carlos Diaz is Gabby's father after she had a one night stand with her sister Nicola's fiancée but a test soon gives the truth that Ashley is Gabby's father.Bernice then tells Ashley that she doesn't love him and moves out the village leaving Gabby with Ashley

Years past Ashley moved on and married Laurel Potts, who Gabby called mum. After a couple of years Bernice returned to the village and Ashley and Laurel decided that if Bernice wanted to see her daughter there would have to be some rules set. Bernice goes to see her mum Diane Sugden and tells her everything that has went on. Bernice admits to Diane that she is in love with a man named Steve Harland and she is waiting for him to leave his wife. Bernice does not get a bond with Gabby until she returned to the village a few years later.

In 2007 Ashley and Laurel's baby boy Arthur is born, although due to a mix up at the hospital, they brought home the wrong baby who they named Daniel Thomas not knowing he was the biological son of Melanie and Greg Doland. Several months later, Laurel finds Daniel dead in his cot. Hilary Potts is suspicious and begins to suspect that Greg and Melanie's son Arthur is actually Ashley and Laurel's child. After finding out Arthur is actually their son, Ashley threatens to leave the village with the child if Laurel doesn't attend the custody hearing and when they win they are both really happy but Laurel finds it hard to bond with the child.

In 2016 Ashley and Laurel's daughter Dotty Thomas was born. She is named after Ashley's mother Dorothy Thomas.

Later on in 2016, Ashley is involved in a car accident due to Emma Barton pushing partner James over the bridge causing him to die in hospital. Ashley thought that he'd forgotten it was his daughter Dotty's christening therefore he was on his way to the church. Forgetting which way to go Ashley got confused and didn't keep his eye on the road not knowing that James had crashed onto his car (what Ashley was not allowed to drive due to his dementia). Finn Barton, James and Emma's son, was helping Ashley's wife Laurel find him, but Laurel gave him the bad news that his father was being rushed to hospital.

Quotes
"Laurel..." (final line)