Rob Minter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Stuart Laing.

[2] Laing's contract was initially for a few episodes but was soon extended to six months and stayed on for a year in total and departed on 25 June 2007.

Rob's most notable storyline is kidnapping Dawn and handcuffing her to a bed so that his wife, May, could perform a home Caesarian in an attempt to steal her baby.

Police were still searching for Madeleine McCann, and the BBC had to re-write the storyline to avoid causing distress to the viewers.

Rob first appears on 21 June 2006, when Victor Brown (Jimmy Yuill) introduces Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) to him at a Walford Community Charitable Trust meeting.

Rob also attends a charity auction where he tries to out-bid Ian, who is bidding for a bracelet for Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon).

Dawn agrees to the deal, but when she sees Rob and May acting like the perfect couple and learns that they have been buying things for "their" baby, she makes another appointment for a termination.

In revenge, May reports Rob for fraudulently obtaining a credit card for "Jane Beale", the name Dawn was using when they met.

Trying to leave, Rob finds the nursery May has decorated, complete with a calendar set to July with "My baby is born" written on 5th.

He insists he isn't but after Dawn sees him attack Keith Miller (David Spinx), he admits that he did hit May.

She accepts and they go to his parents' house but May is there - the new job doesn't exist, being part of Rob and May's plan to take Dawn prisoner.

Dawn leaves to visit Keith and her mother, Rosie Miller (Gerry Cowper), Mickey Miller (Joe Swash) and Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves) keep Rob hostage, torturing him by holding him down and pouring gravy on him and allowing their dog to lick him clean.

While this is going on, they learn from Carly Wicks (Kellie Shirley) that Dawn went into labour on the tube but delivered baby Summer in hospital, but Rob is thrown out when he tries to go and see her.

Laing said of his casting: "I originally came up for a smaller part - for four or five episodes - and then they called me back and said there was this possibility of a character they were looking to develop, which would be in it for a longer time.

"[3] "We would not wish to add to the family’s anguish at this terrible time and we are currently reviewing our storyline including episodes which have already been filmed."

The producer told the news website Digital Spy: "Dr. May and Rob - Amanda Drew and Stuart Laing - have led Dawn and the audience a merry dance this year.