Benny Lewis Bernard " Benny " Lewis was a Liverpool - born businessman who opened up a betting shop in the precinct when Dave Smith told him that his old premises in Rosamund Street had been demolished . His new venture got off to a bad start when his hostess Carol Webb got drunk at a function for the shop re - opening and told Detective Inspector Patterson that Benny didn ' t book all of his takings . Benny decided to be more cautious in future and took on Lucille Hewitt to do the books . Benny then set about building his new empire , ruffling a few feathers in the process . Annie Walker wasn ' t happy when he " poached " Hilda Ogden as cleaner , and he inadvertently caused a fall - out between Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell when he barred Minnie from the shop at Ena ' s urging . He also hired Len Fairclough and Ray Langton to convert the flat above the shop into a modern luxury pad . Despite this , Benny was a lonely man who had to persuade clerk Ted Loftus to keep him company in the flat after hours , regaling him with musings on missed opportunities . Benny had a soft spot for Rita Littlewood , who ' d taken on the job of hostess at the shop . Rita had recently split from her common - law husband Harry Bates and was close to Len , but they had made no firm commitment to each other . After an argument with Len , Rita turned to Benny for comfort . When Rita visited Benny again the next day to thank him for making her feel better , he admitted that he had feelings for her and asked her to move in with him . Rita told him she didn ' t want to tread that path with a man again unless things were more serious between them , and was shocked when Benny then said he would fine with that and asked her to marry him ! ( although Benny seemed even more surprised than Rita that he ' d asked ) . Rita said yes , but it was a short engagement as Len was the man Rita really wanted and when things cooled between Rita and Len , Benny and Rita had an amicable break - up . Benny let Rita keep the engagement ring . As of October , Benny ' s flat was still being worked on . With Benny in Spain , Ray used it to entertain Sharon Duffy , pretending it was his . Sharon found out the truth when her friend Franny Slater told her that Benny lived in the flat she was describing . Franny then saw an opportunity and got Sharon to obtain the key so he could copy it and rob the flat . Benny returned to find the flat ransacked and £5 , 000 was missing - although he told the police it was only £500 . Suspicion fell on Ray and Jacko Ford , who ' d been shown around the flat by Hilda . Franny wanted to set Jacko up as he ' d been in prison for robbery before , and without an alibi Jacko was charged and remanded in custody . Eventually Franny ' s accomplice Freddie Slack was caught and Jacko released but Franny and Sharon had left the area by then . In November , Jimmy Frazer interested Benny in buying a nightclub together . Benny agreed to a 50 - 50 partnership and named it " The Capricorn " , although Alan Howard ended up taking care of Jimmy ' s side of the business . Again , Benny turned to Rita , installing her as a singer at the club . Benny pinned his hopes on a successful opening night and invited Mayor Alderman Chapman , Alderman Rogers and Councillors Alf Roberts and Len , who were both being considered for the next Mayor . Benny ended up with egg on his face when Rita got into a fight with a tipsy woman who didn ' t take kindly to her putting her arm around her fella while singing " Hey Big Spender " , although it was Len who ended up losing out as his association with Rita scuppered his chances to succeed Chapman . By March 1973 , Benny had apparently left the area as the Capricorn was now owned by Dougie Bowker , who was using it as a front to make pornographic films .