Maria is first seen working in the kennels belonging to her father, Eric (Steve Money). Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and Jack Duckworth (Bill Tarmey) bring Tyrone's greyhound, Monica, in to look for a stud to mate with. Maria and Tyrone are immediately attracted to one another and the pair begin a relationship. Tyrone proposes to Maria at the top of Blackpool Tower and she happily accepts. However, their relationship quickly dissolves as Tyrone succumbs to his feelings for Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine), leading a heartbroken Maria to end their engagement.