#Nula Conwell

[forensicated]

05x32 - No Shelter

Interesting fact: Terry Marcel is directing and his daughter, Kelly Marcel (actor sister of Rosie Marcel) plays an extra at a party.

A PC 'extra' who later becomes Timothy Able in about 20 eps is guarding the front desk as an Italian gentleman asks for directions. Timothy disappears into the back of the front office (nice picture of it here...) to ask Tom what he should do.

Tom calls upstairs for Jim because he knows a little bit of Italian. When asked, Jim admits he knows 'a bit' but doesn't look too keen on the thought of being able to understand properly.

Yorkie's having trouble with his girlfriend and they argue on the telephone. Tom urges him to hurry up and he promises he'll only be a couple more minutes.

In the canteen, Taffy, Viv, Claire and Malcolm are reading the papers and discussing how much the wind kept them awake. Taffy says it's the deterioration in the ozone layer, also known as the greenhouse effect. Malcolm reckons his flat felt like someone had started up a nuclear winter. [You forget how big the threat of Nuclear War was then. How things change... ha!] Behind them, Tosh is frying something at a cooker and tells them they've got a 'nice morning' outside where it's peeing it down. Tom calls for his uniform lot to finish and get back outside. "It's only a little bit of rain!"

Jim reports that the driver is Scilian and he wants to get to the Blackwall Tunnel but Jim can't remember which is left and which is right in Italian.

Pete clearly had a good night if the others didn't...! The boys think it was from a fight, but it definitely doesn't look like it! He tries to find a scarf to cover it up but only Jim has one he can borrow - and it's bright yellow. That's a no then. Tom leads briefing as Pete comes in late and with a plaster over his bruise, having 'cut himself shaving'. "I thought perhaps a vampire had got you."

Heading out on the beat, it's still peeing it down and is pitch black. Pete wants to nick the driver of a broken down van for blocking the station carpark exit and pissing him off. It's the Italian from the front office. Tom sends him out on foot patrol with Yorkie instead, as they can't get the cars out. Yorkie disappears when Pete wants to nick someone for a naff crime just to get back in the station; he's clearly still worked up about his argument with his girlfriend.

Malcolm and Vic are trying to hide under a canopy but are still getting wet through. I love their friendship, they really have a natural rapport together. Just look at their grins! Viv is supposed to be going out that afternoon. Malcolm asks if she plays Trivial Pursuits(!) "Often!"

Yorkie makes his way over to a phonebox and calls his girlfriend again. Their argument is interrupted when Yorkie is asked to go to a report of an all night party. He tries to get his girlfriend to agree to see him that afternoon, but she refuses and he has to leave it to go to the call.

Pete tries to stop someone for cycling the wrong way down a one-way street but unfortunately for his dreams of a dry uniform and warm station - he gets away!

Tosh reports to Tom that the ceiling in CID is leaking but Tom claims he already has enough on with the carpark being blocked.

Viv and Malcolm keep hiding under a shop doorway before Alec radios them to attend to an ongoing alarm.

Thankfully it stops raining, but the officers are all still wet through. Pete has to give directions to a young woman... and then he gets splashed by a massive lorry!

Viv and Malcolm find the gate to the trading estate locked. "Ladies first..." Malcolm grins before both of them climb over. The estate is vast so they split up. Viv calls in her location and spots someone so she advances on them. The man claims he's a builder before wrestling with her and hitting her to the floor. He aims a gun at her before being interrupted by Malcolm shouting. Viv shouts a warning that he's armed and Malcolm does an impressive leap into the bushes.

Viv runs after him, closely followed by Malcolm. A few moments later, the van speeds towards her and she throws something at it to try to stop it. At the same time, the man aims the gun at her and takes a shot. Malcolm hears her scream and runs immediately towards her whilst the van crashes into another parked car.

"Oh god, BASTARD!" Malcolm shouts, gently turning Viv over and believing she's been shot. Thankfully it looks like there's just a cut from a bit of window shrapnel or the side of the bullet because for a horrible moment there it looked like he'd shot her in the face. She reassures him she's OK and tells him to go after him. Malcolm only leaves her when he's truly sure she's OK and calls it in before running after the burglar. He advances on the van and shouts for him to throw his gun out the car. There's no movement inside, so he slowly moves nearer and looks inside. The burglar has gotten away.

Pete shelters in a doorway, miserably eating a packet of Munchies.

Taffy pulls over a car with a faulty break light and does a vehicle check. The driver doesn't speak but does do as he's asked by both him and Claire. Taffy tells him to clean up the inside of the car and to get his light fixed as they let him go. It's only the burglar who shot at Viv....!

Yorkie asks the partygoers to turn the music down. The young woman whose party is it protests that it's almost time to get up so she doesn't have to because 'it's not that loud'. Yorkie asks again and she snarkily snaps 'OK'.

Tom, Jim, Tosh and some other Uniform have reached the Industrial Estate. Tom tells them that Viv is OK but in pain with cuts and bruises. They've found some studs and similar that came off his jacket in the fight. Tom's going to accompany her to the hospital. Jim sniffs through the gap of the door that the man was trying to break in and tells Tosh it smells 'funny' like an Indian Takeaway. Tosh laughs and tells him not to be daft, but he sniffs and claims it smells more like a Chinese. They need to work out what's in the room, who owns the targeted premises, and if he had a larger van there to load up, where did the little one that he drove off in come in? Tosh makes a proper Dad joke about getting a cup of tea and sends Jim off to get him a drink from the nearby snack bar so he can ask the owner what he saw.

Viv relives what she saw and thought when she was held at gunpoint. It's all too similar to Tom's own thoughts when he thought his time was up. Tom sympathises with her and says that it's said that the chances of them being in those circumstances again is very rare [If only it was for poor Viv...]

"Didn't even have me truncheon with me..." she almost whimpers and refuses a hug, telling him she's alright. "Me bag..." she mutters, "I've left me bag behind!" Luckily, her nose isn't broken and her teeth are still in place. It will be a bit sore for a while, but she will be OK.

The van was stolen 2 days ago in Chigwell. It's a new food importing company and they're trying to locate the unit owner. Tosh makes another joke but Jim isn't feeling it and reminds him that Viv and Malcolm could have been killed. "That's the sort of sobering thought that gets me drunk!" Tosh frowns, telling Jim that he has to keep a sense of humour in the job." "Everyone tells me what I need in this job..." Jim mutters.

Pete smirks to himself as he stops at the side of a large puddle far enough back as another van approaches. He thinks he's swerved that bad luck...

Pete calls at his most recent flings and asks if she can let him in to dry off and warm up. She is about to refuse before he promises it's only to dry his trousers. When he leaves, he's sure they've shrunk but he doesn't mind given how they spent their time. It becomes clear that it's Yorkie's girlfriend... uh oh!

The owner of the unit arrives and has no idea who might want to steal from him. Inside is a kitchen and Jim tells the owner they could smell the Chinese food from outside. "We are Vietnamese." Whoops. Jim is saved by a well-timed radio call! The unit owner tells Tosh he employs 16 people, alongside some family members. Tosh asks for their names and addresses.

Jim's radio call was a follow-up on the yellow escort seen hanging around by the snack bar owner. The man has previous and soon Tosh and Jim are outside the mans house with armed support.

Armed support force their way in and arrest the man. Or rather they will in a couple of minutes after squirting a bit of air freshener. At least he won't have problems with constipation.

Tom drives Viv back to the station and they stop at a disturbance that is called in just as they drive past. It's the party girls again! They're refusing to quieten down and are rocking the police van as Taffy, Yorkie and Claire try and arrest them. Tom tells Viv to wait in the car and goes to assist. Seeing the chaos Viv goes to get stuck in and ends up being assaulted herself [By Kelly Marcel as mentioned above, the directors daughter]. The girl is dragged off by Taffy and shouts that it's police brutality! Tom checks on Viv who is holding her face. The poor love has only gotten hurt on the other cheek.

At the station at the end of the shift, Viv goes to attempt to put lipstick on but one look in the mirror stops her. Claire asks if she's alright. She's clearly not, despite what she says. Claire tells him that they've got the burglar and that he had a lock up of things he'd stolen from other jobs. She also thinks Viv will get a commendation. Viv is unmoved. "Have I got any hair missing?" she asks. Claire tells her no and asks if she's alright again. She says she didn't do anything and 'today was a day like any other day.' She recounts what happened and starts to cry.

Malcolm tells Pete and Taffy that he knew the man had a gun and still doesn't know why he chased him. Taffy tells him he'll get a commendation for it. Pete asks him for a drink and Malcolm agrees as he's going to get absolutely legless to forget it all. "She's lucky, she's not a bad looker, our Viv." Pete muses.

Viv asks Malcolm if he's alright. He congratulates her for stopping him. Pete jokes that they're alright on the beat with Malcolm. Malcolm asks Pete if he's wearing perfume...

Tosh comforts and congratulates Viv and tells her that the prisoner says she put up a good fight and that he wants to see her to apologise. Viv walks off to the cells and peeks in through the grill. The man moves nearer the grill and has a look at her face. He says he didn't aim to hit her and wouldn't kill anyone. He claims they shouldn't use women to patrol at night because it's dangerous. Finally, he adds a 'sorry, love!' Viv just shuts the grill in his face.

At the front desk, Timothy comes back to speak to Tom. He has another problem. A rather angry young woman is there demanding to know why her sister has been arrested. "Your thugs broke into a respectable party, beat up my boyfriend and arrested my sister." She wants to make a complaint. Tom looks flatly at her before he's called back by Tosh. Tosh presents him with a present - it's what the thief was after. He jokes that it will be replacing them soon enough!

The angry woman shouts and so Tosh just smirks and tells Tom to wait...

[adgp35]

“I think he might have a little less to say about my legs now, Sarge!” laughed WPC Viv Martella as she handcuffed the squawking man who had been sneering at the “daft bint trying to do a man’s job” and ogling her. This was of course before the policewoman put him in an armlock and forced him to the ground.

From the British TV cop show The Bill, featuring actress Nula Conwell as WPC Viv Martella.

[spryfilm]

DVD review: "The Bill: Series 8" (1992)

DVD review: “The Bill: Series 8” (1992)

“The Bill: Series 8″ (1992) Television One hundred and five Episodes Created by: Geoff McQueen Featuring: Mark Wingett, Nula Conwell, Mark Haddigan, Peter Ellis, Ben Roberts, Larry Dann, Roger Leach, Seeta Indrani, Mark Powley, Andrew Paul, Huw Higginson, Chris Humphreys, Jeff Stewart and Graham Cole Sgt. Matthew Boyden: “When the Met employed Reg Hollis, they deprived a village of its…

[gayness-and-mayhem]

Can someone please tell the people writing police dramas to stop killing off characters called Viv. I don't think I can take any more.

[mariocki]

Play For Today: Dinner At The Sporting Club (BBC, 1978)

"The People's Champion, that's what they called Ali. You see, the game doesn't belong to the dinner jackets and the frilly shirts - it belongs to the people. 'Cos that's where the fighters come from. That's where most of them go back to an' all, the people."

[georgefairbrother]

Leading TV historian and author, Oliver Crocker, pictured here with Jon Iles (DC Mike Dashwood in 194 episodes of The Bill from 1984), has over the past few years been compiling an incredibly detailed oral history of the The Bill from those who actually made it, including its stars, supporting talent and behind the scenes artists and technicians. The ITV (Thames) police drama ran for nearly 2500 episodes, from its pilot, Woodentop, in 1983 to its final episode in 2010. At its peak, it was watched by 18 million viewers in the UK. Jon Iles was the very first interviewee for the podcast series, and set things off to a very high standard.

In over 100 podcast episodes, Oliver has interviewed many of the major stars of the programme across its entire run, including Trudie Goodwin and Mark Wingett (above), Chris Ellison (DI Frank Burnside), Graham Cole (PC Tony Stamp), Eric Richard (Sgt Bob Cryer), Barbara Thorn (Insp Christine Frazer), Larry Dann (Sgt Alec Peters), Seeta Indrani (WPC Norika Datta); from some of the originals including Robert Hudson (Yorkie), Nula Conwell (Viv Martella), Colin Blumenau (Taffy) and Ashley Gunstock (PC Robin Frank), to stars of the later era including Todd Carty and Beth Cordingly. And many luminaries in between, from uniform and CID, too numerous to mention.

One or two have remained elusive - Jeff Stewart (Reg Hollis) has thus far declined, perhaps understandably as his departure from the series was deeply and personally traumatic. John Salthouse (DI Roy Galloway) declined the podcast but was very friendly and helpful with information for Oliver's first of two books on the series, Witness Statements: Making The Bill Series 1-3. (Witness Statements II is now also out).

The interviews are fascinating as pretty much all the participants have been breathtakingly honest; about producers and their behaviour and often brutal decision-making, and about the rollercoaster life of an actor even in a successful series. It's not always as much fun as it looks. Having said that, it was a happy cast which made a big effort to make guest stars and extras welcome, and it's interesting to note that the older, more experienced actors, playing CID and uniformed supervisors, tended to mentor the younger actors in the same way their real-life counterparts took care of junior officers.

Tony Scannell (DS Ted Roach) had agreed to be interviewed but sadly passed away before the recording date.

The Bill Podcast is on all the major platforms, and according to Listen Notes is in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally.

@robbielewis thought you might be interested in this one.

[forensicated]

04X40 - The Silent Gun

Malcolm attends a call at a house after a report of a disturbance. However upon talking to the complainants he realises it's much deeper. Bailiffs had been trying to force the door of a bedsit open when the man inside released several rounds from a gun, injuring one of the Bailiffs hands. Malcolm questions why he wasn't told that a gun was involved and the middle class woman admits she was rather flustered to find out her tenant had a gun. She also forgot to ask for an ambulance and to mention that the man with a gun is still inside the house, locked in his room on the top floor.

Brownlow has a holiday that he's just about to leave for as news of the shooting comes in. Malcolm has a look up the stairs but there's no movement.

Bob. Tony and Derek get their guns and bullets signed out to them by Brownlow and Derek is assigned negotiator. Brownlow will be the scene coordinator, Bob is to be his runner and the others are back up.

The woman tells Malcolm that his name is 'Dublin' and she assumes he's Irish because of his name but she's never actually spoken to him. He hasn't paid rent for 6 months and is rather reclusive. She's been through all the legal routes to get him out but he won't leave hence the bailiffs being there.

Jim is sent to try and get access to the house opposite to gain an observation point. A crowd gathers despite Yorkie trying to get everyone to go home and stay inside. Bob and Derek take up positions with their guns with Derek making his way into the house.

Derek slowly starts climbing the stairs. He gets outside the room in question without harm and takes a long deep breath in. "Derek, any sign of life?" asks Brownlow. "Just my guts turning over, sir."

Jim couldn't get in the house suggested as an observation point as the woman he encountered freaked out. He's had to go to the next house along and reports a thick curtain over the window in question.

The firearms boss arrives dressed in a suit and is introduced to Brownlow. Soon after a group of armed police arrive and take over from Bob to allow him inside to assist Derek and Charles. The boss of the firearms is awesome and asks for a canteen van to be brought because he's there to make sure everyone is safe and calm and that the job ends in the same way, however long it takes. If it's not and not everyone is alive at the end - he considers that he hasn't done his job.

Yorkie has to deal with an idiot who wants to leave his house and dodge the police to get to the local shop. He refuses to go out the back, even when Yorkie points out that he's likely to get shot! Thankfully Claire's neighbour is a lot more reasonable and agrees to keep out of the way and in the back of her house.

Derek attempts to make contact with the armed police around him. He asks Mr Dublin if he can hear him and is answered by a toilet flush and Ted making his way out of the bathroom.🤣 Derek tries again but Dublin remains silent. Derek tells him that the bailiff is OK and not seriously injured. He asks him to leave the gun in his room and come out for a chat so he can help him with his problems. Dublin doesn't answer and there's no movement inside. He asks for the man's first name and is still met with silence.

Alec reports to Brownlow that the press would like to come nearer. He refuses and tells Alec to nick them if they try it before muttering to Ted that perhaps they should let them through as the only good journalist is a dead one. The middle-class house owner beams at Charles as she tells him that her brother was a journalist for the Telegraph.

Viv shows Brownlow some post addressed to a Mr Lublin from Poland that haven't been collected. She suggests that the name they've been given for 'Mr Dublin' is wrong and that he's 'Mr Lublin' instead. There's also an old rent book in the same name.

Bob pops upstairs. "... Do you speak Polish?" he asks Derek.

Technical Support blunder into the house and ask Derek how he's going. Derek tells them he's asked for an interpreter as there's been no movement or response yet. The armed officer's boss silences them all when he hears movement...

Outside, the canteen van is doing a roaring trade. Taffy asks Claire how you get all the hedgehogs in the world on a single matchbox. Claire has no idea.

The extra we've been talking about, Bryan Jacobs gets to speak in this episode! He says 'not again' and 'he is!' when Yorkie asks him who's winning their game of cards in the back of the police van.

Robin moans about how long it's taking, claiming the sooner it's over the better. Yorkie takes Alec a tea, he pouts because it's not coffee and sends him back to get him a sandwich.

The house owner is starting to get concerned that it won't be over by the time two students she tutors are due to arrive at 8pm. Malcolm and Ken make them all jump - including startling the snoozing Ted - by celebrating as a goal is scored on TV. [Very surprised Brownlow doesn't bollock them given what they're there for!]

Derek gets the interpreter to ask if he'd like a drink, and Mr Lublin continues ignoring them. "Perhaps he's on the wagon." Derek drawls before checking in with the tech guys who tell him there's half an inch to go before their probes are through the wall. "... Let's hope you don't come out behind the wardrobe again." Derek mutters earning himself a glare.

Brownlow talks to the armed officer's boss who tells him it doesn't matter that they've been waiting four hours, he still needs to bring it to a peaceful resolution. Brownlow points out the streetful of people wanting to return to their homes and an MP moaning about overkill.

Yorkie heads to a local shop to buy a packet of biscuits and speaks to the shopkeeper who tells him that he thought the Polish tenant had gone because he hadn't been in for months whereas before he was a regular visitor for his cereal. Yorkie asks if he ever spoke to the man and the shopkeeper says no, there was no point. He's deaf.

Outside the crowd are getting moody and wanting to return to their homes. One man in particular tries to push his way through Alec. He gets rough and ends up getting bundled into a police van to calm down. Another old lady reports her rice pudding that she left on a low flame might be about to spoil so Taffy is sent in to turn it off!

Brownlow speaks to the armed officers and explains that he's deaf and claims that they've wasted time trying to speak to him. The armed officer points out that if he's heard nothing he's more dangerous as he'd panic and fire at them in shock. The police dog barks at Charles as the man walks off like he's telling him off 🤣

Ted goes over to relieve Jim who has needed a pee for an hour. He reckons they should have gone in as soon as they were in place and took him by surprise and the job now has too much heavy thinking.

Tech are now going for their third set of holes after the last set also didn't work. Derek points out it could be a wall-to-wall bookcase but the man insists he knows it'll be right that time. The heat monitor is also not helping as what is seen could be body heat or also could be a fire! "When you join up those once little holes you'd drilling we can lift the roof up and have a look, can't we!?" Derek snarks.

Taffy tries to get into the house of the old lady and ends up breaking the window of her back door as everything else is locked. He's in the wrong house as he's confronted by two men and finds no rice pudding on the stove.

With no further movement, the officers prepare to go in with a police dog. The armed officers and a light are prepared and Viv asks the lady to stay where she is. They break the door in and push through a barricade to get the dog in before pushing in themselves. Inside they find the dog sat beside the old man who has literally curled into a ball with his hands over his head. The gun is on the bed.

With everything resolved and the old man arrested, the specialist forces leave. Derek and the suspect are mobbed by the press. Jim and Ted watch on in silence with Ted turning to Jim.

".... So what was the score?"

[forensicated]

04x04 - Home Sweet Home

TW: Poverty, Bailiffs and suicide attempts.

Bob is watching a flat with a pair of binoculars beside a bailiff, Jack Hunt. Beside him is a police van with uniformed officers inside.

Bob is warned to keep an eye out for the main man who is called 'Dennis The Menace'. "With or without Gnasher?" He's warned that 'Dennis' is built like the Kremlin and twice as friendly and that 'Gnasher' will be present and is vicious. The bailiff admits he doesn't know why he still does the job as he's had a lot of sob stories lately involving single mums and the elderly. It's the jobs like this (the criminal type) that give job satisfaction. That is until a PITA councillor arrives. The councillor warns Bob that he doesn't want to see any heavy-handed police work. Bob tells him he's only present because the squatters have ignored several notices to quit and they've been harassing their neighbours. The councillor repeats for them to keep it low profile because they're leaving people homeless at the end of the day. "Is that through choice or circumstance?" Bob asks. The councillor pretends not to understand and walks back to the safety of his car. Bob opens the back of the police van and warns the officers that there is an audience and to mind their P's and Q's.

Jack knocks on the door and tries to deliver the eviction notice. The door is ignored so Jack gives a warning that he'll break it down - only for it to open as soon as the officers gather around him. The dog barking inside sounds nothing like the one who is shown onscreen. Jack warns 'Dennis' that he has to leave now. He tries to refuse so he and his dog are led outside in a struggle with Bob trying to calm the situation. Sort of. "Don't be a Menace, Dennis." With the big man out of the way, more officers enter the flat to get to the other squatters. They're pelted with flour and other kitchen items but manage to get everyone out. June has a large black eye and Pete has a sprained wrist as a result. A journalist arrives and Thomas drives off before she can ask for a quote.

Yorkie and Malcolm are called to a library where a single mother is sitting with her 2 children. The manager says she doesn't mind but the other children's parents have been complaining.

Reg tells the others in the canteen that the squatters from that morning were all involved simply to cause trouble. Their bails were all backed by rich parents with high-class addresses. "It's called cultural slumming." Ken claims they have a point and that everyone has a right to a roof over their head. "Oh Melvin..." Pete sighs wearily.

Malcolm and Yorkie try to gently explain to the single mother in the library that she can't stay there all day with the children. Malcolm initially appears not to have a lot of patience with the situation and asks her where she lives. After some reluctance, she explains they don't have a home because the landlord of the unfit B&B she'd been placed in threw her out. Yorkie suggests she would be a priority if she went to the council and she refuses, claiming she doesn't want anything to do with them anymore because she doesn't want to be a burden. She just wants a place for her kids. Yorkie hands over a housing advice leaflet and Malcolm points out the information about a shelter there. She says she can't go to it because it's 'in Pleydell Street and I don't have the bus fare'. Malcolm starts to protest but is interrupted when the eldest boy starts to pull books from the shelves and she shouts at him. He simply sighs and puts a pound for the bus fare into her hand.

Bob and Tom are amused at the squatters being bollocked by posh parents called in to the station. Tom claims the kids think they're Karl Marx and their parents behave "like Mrs T!"

A social worker shouts over to Christine from the front desk to report that one of her clients has gone missing. She's worried and Taffy really isn't getting her urgency. It's the woman from the library and her children, Marie, Wayne and Sammy Tucker. She's not concerned about the children's welfare with their mother as Christine first thinks but for the mother herself. She thinks she's suicidal.

Yorkie and Malcolm are called to the house of Councillor Thomas from earlier as neighbours have reported a break-in. They find the back door open and the Tucker Family making their way up the stairs with their suitcases. Before they can get to them, Marie barricades them in the bathroom door. The front door goes and Councillor Thomas wants to know what's going on...

Yorkie tries to get through to Marie but she won't answer him at first. Christine drives the Social Worker, Sonja, over to help. Sonja, explains Marie had been in the B&B with the children for approximately a year after leaving her abusive alcoholic husband. She blamed herself because she thought she changed him into the monster he became. She had attempted suicide previously and the children are on the at-risk register because of their father. The suicide attempt spurred her into action and once out of hospital she left him.

Thomas isn't exactly helpful as he blames the police for her being in his house. Yorkie suggests breaking the door but Thomas won't allow them to cause damage to his home and suggests they talk her out.

Sonja explains to Christine that the Government has slapped restrictions on councils to stop them from spending what they need to improve their housing stock be it through repairs or building more. They also allow emergency housing B and B's to charge what they want and the councils have to pay the fees by law which forces the social workers and police officers to have to try and put plasters over the wounds without being able to help properly in real terms.

Thomas drinks heavily with Malcolm, politely, suggesting that he attempt to keep a clear head in the situation. Thomas claims he'll do whatever he likes in his home leading to Yorkie and Malcolm exchanging a frustrated look and eyeroll.

"Got a lot on my plate...." he mutters under his breath, turning to look out the window as Christine and Sonja arrive.

Sonja suggests that she speak to Marie first, explaining that she has very little self-value because she blames herself for the failed marriage and sees everything that happens to her as payback. Christine spots Thomas' address on the leaflet that Yorkie and Malcolm gave Marie earlier which explains how she arrived. Yorkie and Malcolm thankfully don't mention the bus fare.

Why on earth would the emergency housing team add a councillor's private address on their emergency housing leaflet? Especially as prominently as it is and marked as an emergency contact. They clearly didn't think it through and he's not exactly a liberal sympathetic understanding councillor who would go out of his way to help, he's a known PITA to Bob and the others. It's a surprise only one family turned up and caused this sort of situation(!)

Sonja goes up to the bathroom and tries to talk to Marie. Wayne can be heard telling his mummy that it's the nice lady who comes to see them. Marie finally speaks and tells Sonja that she hasn't got a home and she doesn't want to speak to her at that moment because talking to her doesn't change anything. She then throws what is suspected to be a vase at the door.

Thomas runs up the stairs at the noise and shouts that the door should be broken down to get her out. Sonja tries to calm the situation and suggests giving her time to come by herself. Thomas shouts that he wants her out and tries to force Yorkie forward to break down the door. Christine raises her voice and gets them all to shut up. She suggests that Malcolm take Thomas downstairs and make him a strong coffee and everyone else a cup of tea.

When Christine offers Marie a drink, Marie calls through that she's sorry about the councillor's pot and that she'll pay him back for it. She just wanted to speak to him about her housing emergency after getting his name and address from the leaflet. She then suggested when she arrived that she thought he wouldn't mind if they sat in the warm kitchen rather than outside. (Although shown in July it would have been filmed approx late March/early April). Thomas calms and goes downstairs with Malcolm.

Christine continues talking with Marie. She admits she's a bit useless around the house when Marie remarks on the Thomas' matching towels. Marie explains in the B&B 15 people had to share the bathroom with a broken flush, broken seat, and no toilet paper. The bathroom is roughly the size of what her entire room was for her and the children. However, it was covered in mould with broken floorboards and damage everywhere with cockroaches crawling all over. Christine tries to cheer her up but Marie tells her she wants to tell her what it was really like. She goes on to explain that she'd sometimes have to beg if her children were hungry as the social services benefits only went so far on necessities. She'd lock the door and not leave until the morning because a girl had been raped on her corridor and there were druggies needles all over.

She complained about her room after finding her eldest holding a used needle. The manager called her unreasonable and threw them out. She worries that the kids are like her husband because they act out because they're bored stuck inside one room all day with nothing to keep them entertained. She claims she's given them no life and that they'll be better off without her. She asks the children if they forgive her and Christine sends Yorkie down to get Thomas. Christine tried to keep her talking and orders her two PC's to break the door down.

They force their way in to find Marie has taken an overdose of two bottles of mild antidepressants found in the bathroom. Wayne tells them that Mummy's gone to sleep. Christine hurries to call 999 whilst Malcolm removes the children and keeps them entertained in a bedroom. Yorkie tries to perform CPR whilst Sonja keeps urging him to keep going. We're entering Yorkie's Kick The Puppy era good and proper.

Thomas tells Christine that he went into politics to try and help people. Christine admits that's why she went into policing. Thomas says he's sacrificed a lot for his ideals. "It's what politics is all about. Sacrifice. Family, even my marriage." He sighs and says it's not been worth it as he's ended up just running in circles and failing people anyway. He then tries to distract the children by handing over a cuddly toy to the youngest, telling Malcolm his own children went with his wife. Sonja enters the bedroom to be with to the children, shaking her head at the two officers and Councillor. "I'm sorry it's...."

"... Too late." Finishes a visibly upset and frustrated Malcolm" as sirens near and Yorkie is seen fruitlessly trying to keep the CPR going.

[forensicated]

04x02 - The Three Wise Monkeys

First S4 episode filmed. Filmed mid May 1988.

Armed robberies are rife in Sun Hill and Ted is grumpy. Yesterday he was moaning about being deskbound and today he's moaning about too many jobs at once. When they arrive at the scene it appears that their suspects have carjacked a woman in a blue Ford.

Two DC's are coming from Somerset to collect a prisoner of Ted's that he's already had in Custody for 28 hours. Ted wants another 24 hours to hold him so he can question him but Christine and Bob won't hear of it.

Tom is clearly still struggling as he struggles to calm his breathing while dealing with coordinating officers to find the Ford Sierra. Brownlow is also in CAD so he's trying his hardest to keep it under wraps. The mentioning of guns has quite obviously unnerved him.

Ted and Mike are driving around on the off-chance of seeing the car until its location is reported. Ted is irritated that 'the carrot crunchers are on the way down with a warrant' for his suspect. Ted spots a blue Sierra and 'camouflages' the car so they can take a drive-by.

Does he carry these around with him always? 🤣🤣 TSG locate the car as they drive by making Ted and Mike take large sighs of relief!

Bob and Alec discuss Tom as both have noticed that he's twitchy and has a bottle of alcohol in his locker. Bob says he'll talk to him. Christine catches part of the conversation and says she'd appreciate it if he did talk to him because there's only so long she can turn a blind eye. She then asks Alec to treat the Somerset transfer 'by the book'. Bob tells Alec he could get arrested for what he's thinking when Christine walks off and Alec adds that he could 'get seriously out of order with her'.

Yorkie and June speed off to find the car with TSG on board. Yorkie follows to observe as he was told to by Brownlow but TSG claim he has the three wise monkeys in the back and so should follow faster because they can't stop the car from this far behind. They patronise June and tell her to be a good girl and not report it to Sun Hill and one of them will 'show her his piece later'.

The Somerset boys are charmed by Viv and keep trying to chat her up - she's not having any of it. Christine warns Jim that Ted has a short time left to update the file on the suspect because he's going back to Somerset whether Ted likes it or not.

The pursuit continues around a car park with Yorkie and June almost getting shot as the suspect fires at the windscreen. It's a farce from start to end. TSG are locked in the back and can't get out to fire back. When they manage to, Yorkie is inches away from losing his head when the one who patronised June fires without enough warning. Yorkie's revenge is perfect.

Brownlow storms through the station shouting with Alec telling Jim he hasn't heard him lose his nut like that in years. Jim asks what's wrong but before Alec can tell him they're found earwigging by Christine. (Hello Derek just behind Christine who has just arrived!)

Brownlow is angry that the officers got so close to the armed men and that they almost got shot and orders Derek to set up a meeting with all concerned for 1pm in his office.

In CAD Tom is falling apart as Ken and Reg chat. He turns away from them to try hide a panic attack. "You're alright, it's over... no guns... there's no guns, it's over!!" he keeps trying to tell himself before he tries to get in his locker for a drink. Bob finds him and reassures him that he's alright and tries to calm his breathing. "What's happening to me, Bob?!" Tom sobs, clinging to him.

In the canteen, Yorkie and June are clearly shellshocked. Christine asks June to follow her out to comfort her privately so no one else sees her cry, "Let it go, there's no men in here..." The TSG Sgt asks Yorkie to not make a complaint against the officer for firing without warning at a departing suspect. Yorkie reminds him they were told to keep a distance away and that he almost shot him and could have shot a passerby. The Sgt promises he'll discipline him when they return to TSG and he'll square what happened with Brownlow as long as Yorkie keeps it quiet. Reluctantly he agrees and the man calms the situation in the meeting as promised.

Ted pulls in to the yard in time to see his suspect being taken away. He shouts at the two officers to take him back inside and the officer tells Ted to back off or he'll bounce his head around the yard. The suspect breaks the tension and Ted storms inside to deal with Jim for "letting him go". Jim tells him he has nothing after keeping the prisoner for 30 hours and Mike tells him he's made his point. Ted tells Jim to continue. Jim says it's easier to work with the system than bend it. 'Surely you learned that through Galloway's mistakes?!" They've really made Ted look like a poor copper for this changeover of DI's. Clearly the bending to fit the storyline started early (!) (Also wonder if they were trying to infer that Roy left under a cloud or if that referred to Roy as a whole?)

Tom takes a breather in the men's toilets when Ted arrives with his hipflask. He offers it to Tom who sidesteps him. Jim in turn goes to Uncle Bob and tells him he thinks CID might have been a big mistake. Bob tells him that rollockings happen, it won't be the first or last time. Jim thinks he's going to have to watch his back and Bob tells him that Ted is not a backstabber and - if it was the right thing to do, he has nothing to fear from Ted. Jim confesses he told Ted to work with the system. Bob laughs and tells him he's been telling him that for years. "But I'm just a DC." Bob reassures him that Ted would be the first to acknowledge that rank doesn't have the monopoly on being right.

Ted goes to talk to Christine about his suspect being taken by Somerset officers. She closes the door behind him and tells him that they haven't had much time to work out how the other works but he left Alec in an awkward position with no way of keeping the man longer. Ted insists he gets results but Christine points out her pips means her way is the way to go.

The TSG officer thanks Yorkie and June for not telling Brownlow what really happened. June scoffs and asks if he still wants to show her his piece? "Hard-nosed bitch!" he spits after her as both walk off to go sit with Tom, showing him their support.

[forensicated]

03x11 - Overnight Stay

There is an important gangland murder case at the court at the moment. The jury have been sequestered overnight at a hotel as they failed to make a decision and assorted members of Sun Hill from both uniform and CID are staying over to keep them safe and keep patrolling the hotel both inside and out on every level including garage and kitchens as well as the guest accessible areas.

Ted has the management move those who are not on the jury to another floor by pretending there is a problem with the power on the floor they're on. Bob accidentally knocks into a woman who is laying a table and bends to help her pick up what she's dropped - he's armed with a pistol.

Tony sits on a roof opposite and watches the jury being led in from a minibus and spots a suspect sitting in a Saab a short distance away, radioing through to Mike who is bringing up the rear. He goes to check it out whilst Roy watches the Jury arrive. Thankfully it's just a member of the press who struck it lucky on where the Jury would be moved to.

It's only now Roy tells Brownlow of a rather important problem - there aren't enough rooms on one floor for every member to have their own so some are going to have to share. You'd have thought that would be the first thing that would have been checked but where's the drama in being organised? They don't have any of their belongings with them so Roy is going to have to purchase them some overnight gear.

Reg is placed as the night cover under Brian to liaise with the hotel staff/the police at the hotel and the station. June updates Roy that a journalist has been caught watching the hotel. Elizabeth Carling plays a receptionist and she and the manager are the only hotel staff members who know what's going on. Ted finds a broken window catch in one room and doesn't have time to get maintenance in so decides to use that room as a restroom for the officers so they can rest in between keeping watch.

The usher of the court reminds the jury they must behave like they are still under oath in the hotel and to only discuss the case in official meeting rooms and not with anyone else. The police are only there to protect them from outside influences until they come to a final decision. They're told that some of the officers will be armed and a jury member is most offended and thinks that it's that that encourages the villains to do the same (!)

Yorkie has fashioned a device from a stick and a mirror to look underneath the cars in the garage, acknowledging that everything is done on the hop.

Ted claims the Wheelan Brothers. the gangland bosses on trial, have both the money and the means to be able to nobble the jury but Viv isn't so sure they'll actually go for it.

June sits in the lounge by herself. Her father passed away in the last episode, but Jim has no idea why June has been moody lately (!). Mike reminds him and suggests that it's finally beginning to sink in for her. June is smoking heavily and Bob asks her how she's managing. Her father never left a will so relations that she's never met before are descending like vultures to see what they can get hold of. A messenger leaves a message for a juror, Bob incepts it and takes it outside to open. It is a small envelope with a ripped railcard with a return ticket to where he lives. The receptionist intercepts a telephone call for another juror just after to tell her about her cat having met with an 'accident'.

Roy takes June outside and asks her what's wrong. He left her in the foyer because he trusted her but she didn't spot the courier. She says she can't have eyes and ears everywhere and he tells her to up her game because the courier and call are just the start. "You stay at your post and don't give me any reason to do something I might regret."

Reg leaves a message to tell Roy that the threatened cat has been fed by a neighbour and is absolutely fine and that the wife of the man who received the ripped ticket appears to still be at Bingo. He hasn't been able to track the courier. The court usher reassures Roy that they're very close to a decision and he doesn't think there'll be a second night. Ted has his head turned by an attractive blonde juror.

Ken and Yorkie have passed the point of being bored, unable to check all the cars as more keep arriving often and others leave before they're checked.

A man comes into the front office and reports himself for bigamy to Brian. Brian suggests returning when CID is available in the morning but he wants to get it off his chest as he hasn't slept for months.

Ted sends 2 officers on a break and helps the blonde get into her room with the standard Ted charm. He goes into the next room which has Tom trying to order makeup for the female jurors. "... How do I know what sort of make up she wants? Make up is make up! How the hell should I know?"

Brownlow and Brian discuss the bigamy report and spot Nick arriving having arrested a man with a blow-up doll! "Try and find out what that's all about please?"

The man and his doll have been arrested for making love on a national monument and outraging public decency 😂.

Viv is starting to yawn already as Roy and Bob get their dinner downstairs. SO1 knows it's iffy, Roy claims, so that's why they've passed it to Sun Hill. Bob reminds him June has been through a lot recently so to take it easy on her.

Brian establishes that the man has reported with his bigamous wife, Mary whom he married 15 years ago. They've had three children together, he has 4 from his first marriage 'that didn't work out', and there are a further 4 from a previous marriage. He's surprised to hear he has 11 children and not 10! "I'm always forgetting Madeline!"

Roy goes for a walk around with Bob with June ordering a G&T from the barman - played by Tony Slattery. Bob claims they're more likely to go after the family members rather than the jurors themselves but Roy says it's not their problem.

Viv overhears people laughing loudly in one of the rooms and investigates to find Ted with the blonde juror. He comes out and says he was just checking to see if she was alright and he went in when she (Viv) had dozed off.

Jim has a suspect on the second floor and calls through to let Roy know. The man claims he's hotel security and was checking all rooms. As Bob and Roy arrive, Mike and Jim are giving him a shake-down to see what he might be hiding. He has an ID card and keys and is legit. Roy asks why he didn't stay off the floor like he was told and he claims he needs to know what's going on. "All you need to know is this building is more secure tonight than it'll probably ever be."

A depressed June is at the bar with the Italian bartender offering to take her back to his room with a bottle of Bacardi. She asks him if he has a girl home and if he does, why does he keep chatting women up. He insists he just gets lonely and is offering company.

Nick has to fold the blow-up doll into some interesting positions to deflate her with the drunk asking him to be careful with her.

Brian berates the bigamist for making the situation even more complicated than it normally is. It gets worse - the first (or rather his second) marriage was in Kingston, Jamaica so Brian has to start the form again for the third time. He suspects he might be pulling his leg - especially after the practical joke in Skipper but he's above board.

The barman and June get closer as June gets drunker. Bob goes to find June before Roy does. The barman keeps trying to her June to her room. Drunk June calls him out for trying to take advantage of her. Bob says she needs to come with him and Tom and June introduces them to "Pancho". "...Pepé" "He wants to get his leg over!"

Roy gets a call to contact Brownlow urgently. One of the jurors has had his house set on fire. Thankfully everyone is ok but it was definitely arson.

The blow-up doll owner is upset she's been deflated as he doesn't know how he will reinflate her. "Take her to a garage!" Nick tells him.

As Viv and Ted get their break, an angry Viv considers reporting Ted for saying she was asleep. He tells her to leave it alone and she stalks out. When she tries to tell Roy he's not interested as he's enough on.

June tells Bob and Tom that she's entitled to a drink and can look after herself as they lead her off - they lock her in the sauna to keep her out of the way whilst she sobers up. "If Galloway catches you-" "I don't give a shit about Galloway!" Tom turns the sauna on as they leave to 'sweat it out of her'.

Roy hears strange noises during his patrol of the hotel and follows them. He pulls his gun out and rounds the corner... to find Ted having his shoes shined.

Ken spots a new car as he does his rounds and they look inside. The boys who relieved them when they had their break didn't spot it either. They're about to investigate further as a woman wearing a tracksuit appears and walks towards them before turning round when she spots them. A car squeals as it pulls away when she starts running away from them and a hail of bullets is fired at the officers who keep trying to chase the woman. She runs to the other side to try catch the car but it can't stop long enough to let her in so she continues running with Yorkie and Ken chasing. Yorkie meets up with Roy and Ted in the search. The woman has made a breakaway on one of the floors. Tom spots her but slumps to the floor after a kick to the testicles. He gasps like he's been shot and calls it in. Mike and Jim spot her near the dining room and follow. Thankfully all doors are locked and they manage to arrest her - in the swimming pool!

Ted goes to speak to the security officer and finds him tied up and gagged. The woman remains silent but the security guard recognises her as the woman who smacked him round the head and says she came in with a carrier bag. Viv handcuffs the woman and takes her back to the station with Jim and Mike now dressed as waiters as it was the only dry clothes in their size available.

Roy says he doesn't want to disturb the jurors if he doesn't have to. This means that the one whose house has been burnt down doesn't know about it. The bag could just be a rubbish bag and he doesn't yet know if it's anything to worry about. He's hoping the jury will have made their decision come the morning before anyone has to be told or spooked. Jim reports that they've found the carrier bag, it appears to be a gift bag outside one of the rooms. It was the floor that they were originally going to use to house the jurors but due to a last-minute change, it isn't the floor that the jurors are actually on.

Ted suggests he pick it up and carry it to the river - three miles away - and throw it in. Roy tells him that he wants an explosives officer and to evacuate the rooms either side of the one with the bag. He also wants June up there right away.

The bigamist asks Brian what the punishment is for his crime. "Two mother-in-laws and about 7 years." He tells Brian that he was born in Southern Ireland and Brian checks back and realises that he can't be punished in the UK. "Mr Watson, I wish you and your wife goodnight..... good morning!" he corrects, looking at his watch. "Get out of the station!"

Roy checks the final door he wants to evacuate to find a couple passed out with cannabis in the room. "... I'll leave this to you, mate." He says to Tom, turning and leaving.

Bob goes back to June to find her wrapped in a towel and still drunk. He tells Roy that he's left June in reception. Roy feels he could walk up to the bag and carry it straight out like Ted says but Bob tells him not to. The explosives officer arrives and asks if anyone has a pen knife or similar on them. Luckily Ted does (look at Roy🤣)

The expert goes to the parcel and crouches over it. "I think we should take a walk...." Roy says as the boys pull away just incase. He goes to look and finds that the bag contains dirty laundry and one other item... "All clear!" he shouts, throwing the bag to Ted. John Salthouse's reaction faces are amazing.

"... Your department now."

The police examine the severed hand, thankfully it's made of rubber. The blood is real enough, however. Ted bags it for forensics and stores it in the hotel chiller!

Brian admits to Alec that the bigamist really tried his patience. Alec describes him to a tee and then tells Brian that he calls in 5-6 times a year with the same story!

The next morning a hungover June is feeling rather delicate. She spots a taxi pull up and a grey-headed man gets out with three suitcases. She approaches reception as he signs in and he observes June with suspicion as she pretends to be looking at a leaflet and he then whispers something to the receptionist. The receptionist gives June his details and tells her that the man thought she was a prostitute touting for business. The reservation was made by a construction company in Huddersfield but June is suspicious because early morning is a very strange time to check in! 2 other reservations were made at the same time by the same company and they've already checked in. Their rooms are adjoining. June tells Roy who calls for Ted and Bob to join them. He tries to get hold of Mike and Jim but their radios are affected by the swimming pool water and the message isn't clear. The car that Yorkie and Ken found last night before the woman arrived is the suspect's car and when the boot is forced there are shotguns inside!

Sun Hill evacuates the floor as Roy, Ted, Bob and others gather outside the suspect's three rooms with their guns though find only one occupied by all three. Jim knocks when given the nod and tells them there's a suspect package been found and the hotel is being evacuated. The door is opened and Sun Hill forces their way inside. The three suspects are in one room and it turns out that 2 of them are members of the IRA and the other is a gunrunner. They found bundles of cash and lots of guns and a bomb!

Brian and Brownlow make their way down to the hotels as the jury are loaded back onto the bus. The court usher thanks them for looking after them and suspects that some of the jury have been nobbled as they've found the brothers not guilty. "I hope it hasn't been too boring for you." The usher smiles.

Questions this episode left me with:

1/ Who told the woman that the jurors were going to be on the floor that they were meant to be? And was she meant to be targeting a specific juror given the room she left it outside?

2/ They didn't even mention if they caught whoever shot at Ken and Yorkie in the garage.

3/ If the blood on the fake hand was real - who's blood was it? Was one of the relatives of one of the jurors supposed to be harmed and it be their blood? Or was it just random blood to make them think one of their loved ones had lost their hand? Why put it in a bag of dirty laundry rather than a gift if you want someone to look inside and dig around to find the hand?

4/ Locking someone in a Sauna when they're drunk and turning it on is a really fucking stupid idea. "I know, I'll dehydrate her more and leave her in a dangerous place where she could get burnt or pass out through dehydration and perhaps die! Tom didn't check on her once - it was Bob who returned and he didn't even know Tom had turned it on! Also - how did she get out the next morning? How did they know she wouldn't get out and go walking around the hotel? Especially when clad only in towels! (you can't be locked in surely as a safety device!)

5/ If you're targeted as a juror and have your house attacked by arson - are you covered by say criminal compensation or can you sue the criminal's estate or whatever? I mean that is providing it's proven that they were involved? I know it's what we have insurance for (something happening to the house that is) but the thought of such increased premiums for something that happened through doing your duty as a juror and something you can't get out of without a really good reason must really stick in your throat. And what about those who aren't insured?

6/ Roy says the brothers have gotten too big for their boots and have become untouchable and should never have been allowed to get so bad... so why not tell the juror whose house had been burnt down about it - and therefore the others - to show what they're capable of? Like mentioning the hand 'accidentally' too? Though I guess without an investigation and legal evidence that it was definitely the brothers behind it (cos they wouldn't have done it themselves!) they'd not have been allowed to and perhaps caused a mistrial.

I really need to stop going down rabbit holes. My brain is also bringing up the repeated shouting - particularly the 'ALL CLEAR!' of the bomb off as only 3 rooms on each side were evacuated and also the clanking of the shoe shiner that was outside someone else's room.

[forensicated]

03x10 - Skipper

TW: Rape and racism discussions in terms of the 80's when it was written and filmed.

Brian is singing A Policeman's Lot in the toilets as he's excited about new police pushbikes. He'll be in the briefing to discuss them.

June's father is in hospital as he's seriously ill. She's placed in CAD to be near the phone just incase with Alec onside with homemade cake for the full 8 hours. Bob is joining them on the street to take June's place to keep them up to strength.

Uniform has their little revenge against Brian brewing with CID co-operation. Operation Mushroom is so-called because he's kept in the dark about it and fed on shit 😂 "Nothing can go wrong, it's planning and teamwork, what we in the MET are known for!"

The Relief try to hide their laughter as Brian gets overly excited about the bikes. He wants 2 volunteers to take them for a test drive around a rather violent estate. He claims it's not as bad as they think and as Nick is an authorised cyclist he's 'volunteered' alongside Taffy. Both are made up about it (!)

Yorkie is on the front desk and humoring a regular about writing to a Duchess. It's clear he has a history and knowledge of how best to deal with him and is very polite to the man but Brian sticks his oar in and moans at Yorkie and calls him insensitive for doing something that makes the man happy.

(Occasionally I have a shufty on google maps at some of the places they walk past on the beat if particularly colourful or eye-catching to see what they're like now because of all the changes and gentrification in London since the 80's. Dinesh and Bob go for a wander past the East West Social Club on Cannon Street 8 mins in - Here it is in 1986 (scroll down a bit) it looks the same as in the ep (only a year later.). A nose down Cannon Street now on Google shows it completely different and it looks like most of the street has been knocked down!) Just after we get a bit (on the same road where you can see Cannon St REALLY has changed!) you can see a bloke stop and stare at Bob and Dinesh and the camera. 😂

Dinesh and Bob are sent to a break and enter nearby. When they arrive it turns out to not be a burglary but a rape. A woman is out for the count on the floor, her husband appears to be drunk and passed out and their son is angry and muttering. The son claims that they were all asleep and a black man with a knife forced the door open, "probably high on drugs like they all are". He took their money, grabbed the woman and forced himself on her. The son starts to cry (with no sign of tears) and says he passed out before he could get to the phone as all had been drinking heavily. He can't say when it happened, he just found her on the floor when he came round again.

Bob and Dinesh lift the woman and take her to her bed where she'd be more comfortable. The son orders them to 'get out there and pull some in, there's enough of 'em!' and that he'd know him if he saw him again. Bob calmly says they'll proceed with their inquiries and sends Dinesh out, saying he'll arrange for the police doctor and a WPC to call. The son refuses but Bob says it has to be done in cases of rape. He then points out that the intruder must have had a key as there's no sign of force on the door. "We probably never locked it." The son admits. Bob looks around and sees no sign of a break-in. He explains about how DNA works and proves beyond doubt who the rapist is and that family members will be the first tested. The man looks shamefaced and tells Bob to forget it, "I'm not sure... I... forget it." Bob glares at him and tells him he'll call back tomorrow when they're all sober. "Some stones are left unturned." he sighs to Dinesh.

As he walks off and leaves Dinesh behind, Inspector Kite is seen watching both of them from a car a little distance away.

Jim tries to get on the bus when a bloke drags him off from behind and tries to push in. Jim tells him to back off and they tussle with Jim trying to arrest him after the man punches him. Bob arrives as if from nowhere and helps arrest the man. In custody, the man insists he thought Jim was going to knife him if he'd let go and that Jim never identified himself as a police officer. Tom smiles and says it doesn't matter either way if he is a police officer or not; anyone can stop another creating a breach of the police or unrest.

SO3 are also involved in Operation Mushroom. "No wonder you've no time to do any work, Alec!" Roy laughs.

Reg brings a bundle of cases upstairs to Roy that have been thrown out by the CPS. "If you ask me this Crown Prosecution Service is one big cock up!" he tells Roy. "I didn't ask you, Reg!" Brownlow's PA is called Joan here (and only appears in the one episode). Reg complains to Brownlow that he doesn't agree with a civilian being placed on the front desk. He insists if people come into a police station then they want to see police, not a member of the public greeting them. "What's going to be next?" "A collator?" Charles drawls, looking pointedly at him.

"In the good old days you could get rid of a bastard like Emmerson []a case the CPS have thrown out] by planting a shotgun in his car!" Ted sighs. Roy tells him to stop pretending he doesn't care about the CPS when he knows that he does. All he wants is the CPS to accept 'good real evidence!'

Roy gives Jim a job of a hold-up that happened the night before at a filling station. "... And don't go by bus!" he tells him to Ted's amusement.

Brian speaks to Brownlow about an idea he has had and Charles makes a dig that he usually goes over his head with ideas. "Send it to heaven like you normally do." For a few moments he is worried that Brian wants him to ride one of the bicycles that have arrived that morning at a tree planting presentation. Thankfully he doesn't! Roy tries to get in to see Brownlow when Brian leaves, but he shouts "GO AWAY!" through the door.

Brian targets Bob for a 'little chat' about outstanding warrants. He claims they've been in Viv and Nick's pigeonholes since Thursday and today is Monday. He moans about Bob not making sure they'd ben chased up. Bob admits he doesn't check them regularly anymore because he knows that Brian will do it anyway so sees no point in duplicating the job. "Are you saying I interfere?" "Well it is your prerogative, sir but you're the first Inspector I've ever had who has felt the need to interfere." Bob has been a copper for 18 years at this point (since 1969 when, if he's the same age as Eric, he'd have been 29 so would be 47 here.) Brian claims the relief are unpunctual, scruffy and their locker room is filthy. Bob scoffs. "Warning? Oh yes we get plenty of them, I'll say that for you!" Brian warns him not to walk out when he loses his temper and Bob says he isn't he's standing up and there's no objective about that. Brian says that the new order of policing counts for him too and Bob tells him he's wearing regulation uniform, his boots are shiny and there's nothing out of order to be found in his locker. Brian just smiles a nasty smile and says he knows 'all your lads watering holes, Sergeant. I've made it my business to find out. And yours as well. And may I say scrounging about in tea stores is the wrong impression to give a young officer like Patel." Bob realises he's been spied on but Brian calls it supervision and claims Bob neglects it.

Ken delivers some 'urgent' post to Brian who finally lets Bob leave. Brian rings Roy and asks if he can fill in for him at the tree planting presentation as 'something important has popped up' He assures him with a smile that it's no problem.

Operation Mushroom is a go go.

Jim speaks to a young girl about the hold-up. She gave him what was in the till, approx £51, and tells Jim he didn't speak but he was 'well hung' as the only piece of clothing he was wearing was a mask!

Yorkie takes a delivery to Brian - inside are three bottles with numbers on them and an instruction for him to collect mud samples from along the river. It's a super secret task only he can do.

Jim reports to Roy that the petrol station armed robber did it naked and Roy says he already knows because he's just done another in broad daylight. Jim asks Reg if he knows of any armed robber who has a tendency to do it naked with a gun that's likely to be a replica. Reg claims he has one with a toy gun but wears a tracksuit. It's the right area and a tracksuit would be easy to remove.

Alec calls Bob and asks him what he's up to. "Counting to 10 and thinking of my pension." June calls in that a woman is worried about her elderly neighbours and asks him to go and visit them to see if everything is alright. She hasn't heard anything for 2 days and didn't say they were going away anywhere.

Brian fusses with the bikes and tells Taffy and Nick that they're going for sensitive policing and to use their discretion if they see anything out of order. He takes himself off to Tower Beach to take mud samples. At the same time, a man is taking pictures of him.

Bob shouts through the doorway of a flat to see if anyone answers before looking in the windows. He can't see anything so shouts again before breaking in after spotting a light on. Sadly Mrs Pollard has passed away and her husband is laid in bed holding her and hasn't moved since it happened. He won't allow Bob to touch her and says she's fine where she is. Bob calls for the mortuary van and the doctor to visit and starts to make the man a cup of tea. Now he's calmer he recognises Bob as Sgt Cryer who dealt when his wife lost his purse. Bob engages him in conversation and finds out they've been married for 60 years. He refuses to let her go without him.

Brian goes to collect his next sample, a short distance from Tower Bridge.

Jim receives another call where his naked suspect is still in place at a filling station. Mike speeds over and the two run in. The woman separated him from his gun and wrestled him into the store room.

Roy asks Charles to complain about the CPS but he insists that nothing would happen, even if all the Superintendents in the MET complained. He sends Nick and Taffy out on their bikes with those left in the station sneaking out behind them and singing Daisy Daisy as they cycle off.

Brian changes his office sign to Private after carrying his samples inside and makes a telephone call, asking for Superintendent Chivers. "I've got the samples, shall I arrange delivery or will you send someone?" he asks. When Chivers has no idea what he's talking about he explains that he was personally asked to gather samples of mud to test to see if a missing canister of highly toxic waste lost in the Thames is leaking and he'd had a message through CAD and a letter. Chivers tells him he's clearly been the victim of a practical joke!

Brownlow attends the tree planting with Roy and other important community figures on the rough estate and makes a speech. Nick and Taffy 'play' with local youngsters and lift them up for pictures, earning several blows to their hats. As soon as they leave, a local dog makes its presence known by peeing up the side of the new tree!

Brian sits with the samples on his desk as Yorkie knocks. He doesn't answer so Yorkie opens the door anyway and hands him an envelope telling him he's been sent it from SO3 (forensics) - it's the pictures of him gathering the mud.

With the man asleep, Bob helps the doctor declare the death of Mrs Pollard and the attendants start to remove the body of the man's wife. He wakes to find her being moved and breaks down with Bob comforting him as she's carried out.

June receives a telephone call from the hospital to let her know that her father has deteriorated. "... Are you trying to tell me he's dead?" she asks quietly, before agreeing to head over immediately.

Alec updates Bob about the prank they carried out on Brian. Bob thinks it's one thing the relief having a pop but it undermines the authority of a senior officer when the Sergeants get involved. "Yeah we thought you might be a bit po-faced about it and that's why we didn't tell you." Alec adds. "As it happens I agree with you, the man is a prat!" but he realises Brian is young and clever enough to adapt unlike them. He then asks how June is but Alec doesn't know anything outside of the telephone call from the hospital. "Bet she was glad of your care and attention." he sighs.

Bob knocks on Brian's door where he's singing A Policeman's Lot again. "Come to gloat have you?" he asks, showing him the mud. Bob admits he wasn't involved but he knows that the others will think he had it coming. He tells him that he doesn't find it funny himself. Brian thanks him for his honesty and apologises for overstepping the mark earlier but says he won't let being the butt of a practical joke stop him from doing his job.

[forensicated]

03x04 - Missing Presumed Dead

TW: Sexual assault

Uniform perform door-to-door on an estate in the pouring rain after gunshots were fired. AMIP (Area Major Investigation Pool) are involved but Roy doesn't see why as all they have is 2 bullets in a wall and some blood but not a body. The AMIP officer thinks it's gang warfare and that CID are hiding something from him. Roy promises to keep him informed if anything arises and, the AMIP officer agrees to leave it to Sun Hill - for now.

The residents all have the same story - no one heard or saw anything. Even those who overlook the exact area where the shooting happened claim to have seen nothing. There is no evidence that links anyone to either being the victim or any suspect. Forensics are trying to get what they can but the driving rain makes it very difficult. Forensics tell Roy that preliminary evidence suggests the shot came from a slow-moving vehicle 'somewhere over there' and he guesses 3 people were involved.

Filling up with petrol, Bob hears a call that a dark Ford Cortina was seen driving away. It's an anonymous tip-off that may or may not be linked, there's no evidence either way. He hears tires squeal as a dark car drives by him so he follows it. Bob calls for assistance to help him and the patrol cars speed off the estate but reports that he lost the car soon after. In the dark Bob ends up hitting a pedestrian in dark clothing who was out walking her dog and who came out of nowhere.

Forensics think the man who was shot was dragged into the car. A woman on the estate invites the officers inside. Yorkie runs over to Roy to tell him they think they have a witness. Ted doesn't understand why they'd take the body of whoever they shot. Roy suggests they'd have an idea of who did it if they knew the victim. A journalist asks Roy for some info. If he runs a freephone number in the paper for people to call with information, Roy will give him an unofficial exclusive interview the next day. When Ted says he wouldn't trust the press as far as he could chuck them, Roy says that with a potential gangland murder on their patch, they have to take what help they can get.

Bob helps the old lady who is slumped in the middle of the road. Her dog is ok and walks off. Mike reports the accident to Roy and that uniform have stopped the dark car and found it was two youths on their way to a party and they are not linked to the shooting.

During the door-to-door, Nick and Taffy find a flat housing exotic animals, including an owl flying free. The resident has been 'borrowing' them from an exotic wildlife park and other places. In the bath there's a crocodile and her baby!

Jim gets a cafe to open so he can ask the owner questions about the shooting. The owner tells him he's lived in the area for 50 years and that it's steadily getting worse. "It was never like this when the twins were about!". Jim describes the man and the peaked cap in the description rings a bell with the owner. "He was very tanned, looked like he'd just come back off his holidays." He was about 40, 6ft 2 or 3 and he had 2 sausage sandwiches and savored them like he hadn't had them for a long time. He looked like he was waiting for someone.

Reg checks local hospitals for reports of anyone with gunshot wounds. They've not had anyone arrive or dumped outside so Alec asks him to try hospitals further away.

Brian arrives at the scene of Bob's accident and is antagonistic from the start. Bob calmly tells him he was traveling at 30mph because visibility was bad and the woman appeared from nowhere. Roy arrives and tells Dashers to stay in the car because 'somethings are not for your ears'. Brian says there are complications and snaps that he wants to know if Bob was in pursuit of the other vehicle or not. "It's a simple enough answer!" Roy shouts at Brian to leave it out and he tells him to shut up because it's nothing to do with him. "Of course it's something to do with me when one of my colleagues is in trouble!" Brian tells him to go and focus on his shooting and Roy snaps back that when the shout goes up everyone piles in to help because they're a team. CAD asks Mike to inform Roy that Ted is on his way back with a witness. "One of these days I'll have you, Kite," Roy growls, adding "Look after yourself, Bob." With Roy walking off, Kite warns Bob; "This brings disrepute on the force through dangerous or careless driving on your part. You won't find me as sympathetic as your colleague! I'll take you all the way!" There's no 'if' in there. He clearly thinks Bob was being careless and is to blame. There is nothing to like in this man!

Roy asks Alec if there's anything he should know and Alec tells him that the Chief Inspector of Area Traffic is going to investigate Bob's accident.

Bob has hold of the letters the pedestrian was out to post and says he better post them for her. The Chief Inspector tells him she's a widow with seemingly no other family and has to suspend Bob from driving police vehicles. Bob is desperate to get to the hospital to see how the victim is but the CI wants to talk to him first. He explains that Brian alleges Bob was in pursuit after calling for backup to assist. Panda's are not pursuit vehicles and if that is correct, despite Bob's protestations, that could be it for him.

At the station, the witness from the estate is taken to speak to Roy. Her boyfriend, Eric [A guest starring Andrew Paul who later returns in series 5 to become Dave Quinnan] doesn't want her to speak to the police because they have to continue living on the estate.

She tells Roy that her boyfriend was putting the kettle on for a cup of tea. She looked out the living room window and saw a Cortina pull up outside. The man on the pavement went towards the car and then suddenly he fell down with his hand on his chest. She pulled away from the window because she was scared and called for Eric. Eric looked outside and there was nothing there. When she looked out beside him seconds later it was empty like nothing had happened.

At the hospital, a nurse tells Bob that the elderly woman went in for an emergency operation but asks him to speak to reception for more. Bob stands outside the operating theatre, waiting for more information about the victim. She's eventually wheeled out but is clearly very poorly.

Roy has a funny feeling that something is being hidden in the shooting case and requests Alec to call everyone in for a briefing. A large number of officers are dealing with the animals found in the flat so uniform help is a little limited at the moment. Jim reports that a cafe owner, reported a man in the checkered cap that was found at the scene was in the cafe earlier and he's got a good description.

The

RSPCA Inspector tells Tom that the animals have been well looked after and have been stolen from pet shops and wildlife parks all over the city. "It's quite easy to do if you put your mind to it."

At the station briefing, Viv is filling in for missing uniform officers (aka: spotted a chance for overtime) despite not being on the original investigation. Forensics think that with the amount of blood at the scene there's very little chance the victim is still alive. The Royal Free is the only hospital that had a gunshot wound victim but it's nothing to do with their inquiry. June asks for news on Bob and Roy tells her he's still at the hospital as far as he's aware. There's a partial fingerprint in blood of the victim on the pavement but it's unlikely to be able to identify anyone given the location of the print. Roy asks Jim, Ted and Dashers to discreetly inquire at local pubs to see if the landlords have heard anything or recognise any descriptions. He reminds Ted it's work and not a pub crawl excuse.

June heads over to the hospital to support Bob. He wants her to take his statement sooner rather than later and wants to hang around to know how the old lady is. The nurse doesn't seem overly optimistic and suggests Bob go home. June tells him the statement can wait till tomorrow and also tells him to go home. She says she'll come and see how the lady is in the morning and ring him to tell him but Bob insists he's staying until midnight and will fill out his statement whilst he's there and that June should go home.

Ted asks three late-night stragglers to leave a pub after closing hours when the landlord reports that they won't leave during his attempt at asking questions about the shooting. They don't take overly kindly to it and assault him, forcing him face-first onto the pool table.

Bob is confronted by the nephew of the lady he knocked down. He shouts at Bob that he's slack and tries to get the nurse to throw him out. Bob gathers his hat and statement and leaves.

Ted refuses an ambulance or the police, he just asks the landlord to take him to hospital. "And if you mention this to anybody I'll bring the world down on your ears." Sadly from how Ted was forced over, the sheer amount of blood on the back of his trousers and his inability to sit down, it appears that Ted might have been brutally sexually assaulted with a pool cue or bottle. He books in under a false name 'Mr Jones' and slips over onto his backside when the chair he leans on moves, shouting out in pain.

Bob returns to the hospital the next morning to find that the lady had passed away in the middle of the night.

Roy and Jim are the first officers in CID the next morning with both believing Ted would have drinking each pub he called in dry. Mike is at the site of a burnt-out Ford Cortina on waste ground. The plates were removed before it was gutted and forensics are unlikely to be gathered.

The clothing van has arrived at Sun Hill to allow those who need it to obtain new items of uniform. Yorkie is struggling to find a pair of trousers that will fit him. "You must have lost weight." "You have been doing the post-natal exercises haven't you!?" Taffy teases him.

Ted slowly makes it into the office with a blow-up ring to sit on, telling Mike and Roy that his 'farmers' [piles] are playing up. The way Dashers asks if he's alright is so gentle. He is about to slowly lower himself onto his seat when Roy takes his arm and asks him if he wants to go home instead. He even passes Ted the inflatable ring so he doesn't have to bend down to pick it up.

Our little CID family are adorable! ❤

Jim searches through the cafe's rubbish for the paper discarded by their victim. The owner comes out clutching it and hands it over. Jim updates Roy who arranges for him to be collected to take the paper to SO3 (forensics) and for Mike to sort a photofit line up.

The two estate residents return to CID for Roy to tell him they've remembered something. Just before the victim was shot someone was walking away from him. She didn't see them talking but it was obvious that they had been. She couldn't see his face clearly but he was middle-aged with white hair. Mike arranges for a man to sit with her and build a photofit of the suspect.

June attends the hospital and sees the bed of the RTA victim is now empty and is told she has passed. She returns to her car and spots Bob walking aimlessly nearby.

Ted sits outside the pub he was attacked in, waiting for his attackers to return. Beside him on the passenger seat is a crowbar...

The Chief Inspector from Traffic attends Sun Hill to tell Brian that the victim has passed away. He has gathered enough evidence from the scene and witnesses to prove Bob was not driving carelessly or dangerously. Brian mutters that it's a good job for Bob and the Chief Inspector doesn't buy a word of it. He points out it was Brian who alleged that Bob was driving poorly rather than the victim or any witnesses. "My concern is for the good reputation of the force." The Chief Inspector calls his bluff, knowing he would be just as down on Bob if he'd sat back and done nothing. Brian tries to say that it looks like a whitewash to Mrs Martin's family but the Chief Inspector tells him he has spoken to her neighbour who says it isn't the first time that her dog has pulled her into the road and caused an accident.

June tells Bob not to blame himself and that it was an accident. "It's the risk you take being a policeman," she says softly. "You've told me that often enough. And you were right. If it wasn't for you, Bob Cryer, I'd have left the job ages ago." Bob wonders what kind of woman she was and that he never got to tell her he was sorry.

Reg contacts Roy to tell him that a woman has arrived at the Front Desk with information about the shooting. He arranges for her to be brought up to his office. The woman asks to see and feel the hat as she's a psychic. She brings in 'references' and assigns Tom Penny - with a smirk - to be the officer to look after her.

Ted spots the three men who attacked him coming out of the pub and he gets out with the crowbar in hand. Uniform are called to an alley to 'deal with a disturbance'. Jim takes the call before any uniform - other than the extra who is driving him to take the newspaper to be fingerprinted - can. Ted has pinned one man down and is wrestling a second away. The second runs off when he spots Jim and Ted raises the bar Jim grabs Ted from behind. Ted freaks, sending Jim flying. The man escapes and Ted turns on Jim. Jim holds his hands up with Ted coming to his senses but spitting out a warning. "Don't you ever....! I'll never forgive you for this, Carver."

Jim reports back to the station that the alley was all quiet on arrival and that he didn't see anything. Ted is in the back of the car with his eyes closed. When Jim returns, Roy asks how long it takes to take the paper to SO3 but he says he was delayed by taking Ted home. A thumbprint is found on the paper. The victim is called Brian Corrigan.

The psychic is 'feeling' her way around some wasteground with Taffy and Yorkie tasked to 'help' by digging holes to locate 'evidence'. So far all they've found is an old bike wheel.

Roy goes to speak to Corrigan's ex. Corrigan has been living in Spain where he escaped to after grassing on fellow villains. The ex genuinely believes he still is and that she and their daughter are only now starting to recover, 5 years on. Roy has to tell her that he has returned and was murdered. There's only one thing he'd return for and that is Susan, their daughter. The ex tells Roy that Gerry Noakes, Corrigan's cousin, rang and wanted to take Susan out for the day but she refused to let her go. Roy rings Sun Hill and orders the photofit to be checked against Reg's file on Noakes. If it matches - which it does - arrest him immediately.

Roy and the ex have history. She claims that if she talked she'd end up like Brian and asks what is more important to Roy, solving the crime or her life? "Just this once. For old times sake." She tilts her head. "How many times have you said that to me?"The man he should talk to is called Harry Stobbs. They lean in and are about to kiss before she pulls away and asks him to leave her alone.

Noakes was kicked out of the address Reg had on file 3 weeks previously. Thankfully the person who lives there now had a forwarding address but it's not good news. His things are there but he is not. He was seen the night before with a suitcase heading towards Heathrow.

Bob is called to see Brownlow. Brownlow knows it's been difficult for him since Kite arrived. "...He does have an abrasive manner." Charles says diplomatically. "That's what we're calling it, is it?" Charles continues that the men like and respect him, as does he, and he suggests that Bob go for Inspector. "Would we still be having this cosy little conversation if I had been found responsible for the accident?" he asks, before saying he's staying at the rank he is.

Roy goes in to see Stobbs at his office. He reminds Stobbs of when they first met - a charity dinner for the Police Dependent's Fund. They auctioned off an autographed Spurs football and he was very generous in what he paid. Stobbs asks what Roy really wants and Roy gets to the point. He thinks Stobbs got Noakes to set Corrigan up to be shot under the pretense of seeing his daughter. Stobbs claims he doesn't know Noakes. "When an East End boy makes good, there's a lot of talkative people in the shadows..." Roy warns him.

Brian Kite spots Bob in the canteen and goes to sit with him. He says how sorry he is to hear that the victim of the RTA has passed but that he has heard Bob has been cleared. Bob nods and reminds him that he tried to break him and almost succeeded. Brian is left staring at the table as Bob walks off, returning to his work as Custody Officer.

Stobbs tells Roy that he was blamed by Corrigan for 4 counts of robbery that he didn't commit and he's entitled to feel bitter about it. "You paid off a lot of people..." Roy points out. "I'm a great believer in British Justice," Stobbs says before telling him that Corrigan put away a lot of innocent people who have an axe to grind and that the world revolves on rumours. "For example... who assaulted your Detective Sergeant last night? I could probably find out..." "Don't you play the Godfather with me!" Roy growls. He is adamant that CID will have arrested Noakes by now and he'll be on the way to the nick." Stobbs simply smiles. "As you say, I'm a very busy man..." Roy warns Stobbs that he is the law in Sun Hill and walks out. As he logs back on the air, he receives a message from Dashers via CAD to tell him 'Our bird has flown via Heathrow'.

The next morning Ted returns to the station and apologises to Jim for how he spoke to him the day before, "Mum's the word, right?" He says before Bob tells him there's been another shooting at a warehouse. Mike, Jim and Ted head to the warehouse with Roy arriving soon after. The victims have all been strung up and kneecapped. Jim pointedly says he has seen them 'somewhere before' when Roy asks if they know who they are. Dashers wonders if it's the beginning of gang warfare and Roy shakes his head, "It's a message for me." he sighs, walking over to Ted. "You know who they are, don't you? Why didn't you tell me about last night?" Roy asks. Ted sighs. "I was embarrassed. If they'd done it anywhere else I wouldn't have minded but having a glass up your jacksy like that. It's humiliating." "Not half as humiliating as being told about it by a villain like Stobbs and then receiving a demonstration of who the real law is on the manner." Roy tells him, walking off and leaving Jim watching after him and Ted.

[forensicated]

03x03 - Brownie Points

TW: Discussion of child abuse and race in the terms of the mid-80s when this was written and filmed.

June and Taffy watch a prostitute, Shirley, attempt to pick up customers on a street corner. So far they've seen two slow down before driving off with her flicking them the V's. June goes to speak to her and warns her she risks arrest. "Home to bed for you." "What do you think I've been trying to do for the last 6 bleedin' hours?!" As June returns to the car, a man in a van slows down. "'Ello darlin' you looking for company?" June turns round and the man drives off at speed when he sees she's a police officer.

"I've just been accosted by a kerb crawler." she chuckles, getting back in the car. The official name for the operation is "Operation Tom."

Nick stops a posh gentleman in a red light district after spotting his car circling three times. He claims he's lost. "Would you like us to phone your wife and ask her to look up directions for you?" Nick asks with the man blustering and very quickly remembering he knows where he's going. Funny that.

Bob is stuck in CAD still and is not happy, twirling in his chair. "It's like being stuck in a wheelchair." Dinesh tries to send Nick to an all-night party that is still going on. He answers back smartly until Bob cuts in and tell him to just go. "Don't let them mess you about!"

Nick and Viv attend the all-night party and invite themselves in to talk to the residents who night shift already visited earlier. "All people do around here is complain. If we want a party we have a party." The female resident snaps, ordering her daughter back inside her bedroom. "All we're asking for is a bit of consideration for others." Nick says pointedly before they leave. Mrs. Baker, the neighbour who has been ringing the station comes out and explains she hasn't just been complaining about the music. Natalie, the daughter, has been screaming and crying at all hours of the day and night for months. Viv asks if she's heard what has been going on and Mrs Baker says that the mother is beating the girl. She hasn't seen her but hears it and the girl is covered in bruises. She feels guilty for not reporting it sooner. As Viv returns to the car, the music starts up again.

Brian Kite speaks to Brownlow, telling him he didn't have to come in early as he had everything in hand. Brownlow spots three issues and urges him to hurry up the operation to discourage the red light district near the market as the DAC is due to visit that afternoon. He literally tells him to shift them onto another Super's patch. 🤣 He doesn't want someone important nicked for kerb crawling as it would be very embarrassing. Kite reminds him they have a Brownie troop visiting at the same time. He didn't move or cancel them because the DAC is very keen on community involvement and Kite thought it would be a good idea for him to see them. He then tells Charles he's replaced his coffee cups as he leaves because the old ones were grubby. Proper little 'apple for school teacher!' suck up.

Taffy is studying for promotion and keeps asking other officers to test him. At the same time he moans about the new staff in the canteen as one keeps showing attitude and turning her back on officers. "Thanks love, sorry for the inconvenience." he drawls with the woman rolling her eyes at him. Tom tells Jim he's not in CID yet so can still sit with his mates. "No thanks, Sarge. My social worker always told me to keep away from policemen!"

Viv tells Yorkie that Natalie's face was bruised when she saw her and her eye was puffed up. Yorkie tells her it's not the first time and the school has also reported her bruises. Natalie is already known to the relevant agencies and Yorkie will follow it up again with the new information as the estate is on his ground.

Reg reports to Tom that he's been nominated as Federation Rep by a couple of officers on the night shift. He wanted Tom to be the first to know because he thinks he and Tom have a lot in common. "I wouldn't have said that, Hollis." " Course you wouldn't, Sarge. You're too modest." "...Bloody hell."

Charles keeps fussing around the station and checking noticeboards. He tells Tom that he's seen far too many police officers and wants them 'sending out' before the DAC arrives. "Especially the troublemakers!" Charles tells him that Reg was the only nomination for Fed Rep and if the rest of them are "too apathetic to apply for the job they must accept the consequences. That's democracy."

Nick can't believe that no one else has applied. Alec tells him nominations don't close till midday so he can still stand himself. "Me, Federation Rep? No thanks!" Taffy claims it'd interfere with his studies. Alec claims that they need someone who can stand up to the bosses and who has a bit of nouse so they can get what they need across. He adds that women always do well as Fed Rep and that June is the ideal person. Nick claims there's no such thing as female PC's, they're just men in drag.

Yorkie finds Youth And Community are aware there is a multi-agency conference about Natalie Winston happening that day but they're not attending as her Y&C caseworker is on holiday. Yorkie asks for permission to attend. Tom says no as it's Y&C's fault if they don't attend on behalf of the police and he's already light on officers due to Operation Tom. Brian gives permission as community liaison is part of their job and Yorkie has knowledge of the case. He tells Tom to make sure that Y&C know it's just a one off.

Reg tells Nick and Taffy, who are cleaning the yard before the DAC arrives that the request is a misuse of manpower and they shouldn't have been asked to do it. Reg is smug and is adamant he's already got the position as Fed Rep, purely because there's no competition. "I seem to have emerged." Nick tells him that June has also been nominated. "She's only a woman." Reg scoffs. In the ladies toilets, Viv tells June she would make a good Fed Rep because she has the right experience and it'd do her good and she's a shoo-in against Reg. "Besides, it'd give you an interest." "Just because I'm not husband hunting or shag happy does not mean I need an interest!" June snaps. "I'm a perfectly normal woman! I enjoy my job and then I go home and mind my bloody business!"

Alec is at his top wind-up best when Kite seems to ask if he's ready for the DAC to arrive. He suggests Alec brush up on how PACE is affecting his job as Custody Officer. Alec smiles that the DAC can have his opinion on PACE if he wants it. "PACE is a pain in the neck and the only thing I don't have to write down now is how often a prisoner farts." Kite is not amused claiming that Sun Hill must be seen as a "efficient, flexible and forward-looking. No room for Ned Ludd [who Luddites named their movement after] here."

Yorkie asks Robin to do a couple of checks for him on the background of Natalie's mum and her boyfriend who live on Lexford Square. He tells Bob that the CAD room looks great. "Yeah, till someone pulls the plug."

Tom tells Viv DAC Wainwright is worse than an auditor, he pounces on anything and everything to pull up as problems so wants her to go through the lost/found books and make sure everything is entered correctly. Ken, Taffy and Nick are directed to check the property store to ensure everything is in order and correctly labeled. Viv is told to make sure the commissioner's face isn't on the dartboard.

Roy returns after his 'bloody awful' leave.

Tom and Bob warn Roy of the DAC's impending visit and that a particular street has been under 'Operation Tom' all week so not to seek an escape there. Brian asks Roy how his leave has been and Roy poshes-up his accent a little. "Superb, thanks Brian." He tells Brian that he doesn't want a particular 'tom' arrested because she's a CID informant. "I didn't ask for a lecture, just a favour." When Brian launches into a long-winded explanation of why he can't help.

Ted is irritated they didn't get advance notice of Natalie's case and claims Youth and Community do not keep their end of the 'bargain'. Roy asks what the issue is as it's him who'll have to attend, not Ted. Ted claims it's the principle, and without notice they can't get cover. "Life was a damn sight easier when Social Services weren't able to bury their dead!" he snaps, every word overheard by Brownlow on a call to Roy to ask him to look after the DAC. "Acting DI Roach" is going to attend the conference with Yorkie. Ted has three cases that all want his undivided attention. "And now you've got a couple of hours listening to so-called experts talking a load of cobblers!" Roy warns him to keep his ears open and mouth schtum. Mike had sent Jim to get him a coffee and Ted steals it from Jim just as he's about to enter CID and takes it with him.😂

Jim is sent to the Red Light district where Operation Tom is happening to warn one of Roy's best snouts, Janice, to make herself scarse so she doesn't get arrested. Roy warns him to be careful near her! She's a handful!

Reg does his best to speak to all uniform, telling them he and Brownlow are on the same level and he has a special way with him. June on the other hand is depressed about how she comes across and why people make assumptions about her having the time to take on Fed Rep responsibilities. "June Ackland, aged 30. Married to the job, good old sexless dependable June." She sighs to Alec who wraps his arm around her. "Let Hollis do it, let us all have a laugh."

Ted moans about Social Services not doing their job and that they shouldn't be let loose as Social Workers unless they've got kids of their own as 'wet nose kids fresh from uni know nothing!' Yorkie claims the case workers have a load of about 80-90 kids each that they're concerned about. "Concern is no good unless they let us do something about it!" Ted growls.

The Brownie Pack arrives and Tom tries to offload them onto Inspector Kite who informs him that he is tasked to show the Brownies around. Brian is literally running his hand over everything including door frames to make sure they're spick and span. He tells Ken to keep a watch for the DAC on the back door, radio in when he spots him, and then not allow anyone into the station for an hour. Ken does exactly that, saluting the DAC's car as he drives into the yard.

Unfortunately, Natalie's mum and stepfather have no previous for which they've been caught so the police are on a backstep. The social worker doesn't think CID involvement is necessary. Ted disagrees 'in light of the injuries'. "Let's keep an open mind about that, shall we?" Natalie and her mum were moved onto the estate 12m previously as part of the council's attempt to create a better 'ethnic mix'. The council worker claims that the prejudice and hostility that Tara Wilson was subjected to created a lot of stress. Tara attended 1 psychiatric consultation 6 months ago and the psychiatrist claims she is a classic example of repeating what she learnt from her own childhood - no love of warmth shown to her so she is the same for Natalie.

In Brownlow's office, Brian and Charles try to charm the DAC, showing him the official figures - which impresses him.

Jim drives around and spots Roy's snout. He shouts she has a message from DI Galloway whilst showing her his warrant card. 🤦‍♀️ She gets into his car to discuss it and he tells her to keep out of sight - as Nick and Taffy stop them. "I'll have the kerbcrawler, Taff. You can have the Tom." Jim asks them not to spread it around because she is a snout. They promise they won't but continue to tease him. "You dirty little bleeder."

Yorkie notices Ted scribbling away so looks at his notepad...

He's drawing Ms Blake, a council official he has had previous with. The psychiatrist claims that the best way for Natalie's mother to learn to become a mother is through "a therapeutic relationship with her Social Worker within the family structure." Ted claims that Natalie's mother has the morals of a pole cat, the boyfriend won't stick around, and that Natalie was seen bruised and swollen just that morning by a police officer, "Here we go, typical intelligent response, nick 'em and bin 'em!" Ms Blake glares across at Ted. "Well, it's better than pontificating over a corpse." Ted responds.

The Brownies are excited after being in a cell and are shouting. Tom and Alec watch as the leader simply lifts her arm and the Brownies shut up immediately and do the same. "... I must try that at Parade!"

Alec riles them again by taking them off to get fingerprints done.

Ted asks if the meeting is about Natalie's best interests or not. The social worker agrees that it is, but they have to work out if the evidence is strong enough to warrant her removal from her mother's care. Ted points out they have the police evidence in their files and that the neighbour, who is the same race as Natalie and her mother - will testify. Ms Blake snaps sarcastically that the neighbour is 'what's known as a coconut, love. She's black on the outside and white in the middle.' The health visitor claims she is only there to see the baby who is healthy and well cared for and frankly she'd be unhappy if the case was allowed to undermine the work that the health service has done on the estate. Ted remarks that they'll likely have to carry Natalie out in a coffin to keep tarts and drug pushers happy. One of the women shouts at Ted for being ignorant and tells him that her case workers are assaulted, threatened and spat at every day as they work to keep families together and all 'these bastards [the police] want to do is take the easy way out.' She physically strikes Ted's shoulder in her frustration and throws his notepad at him as she tells him she's sick of him.

The DAC, Brownlow and Inspector Kite walk into custody as Alec and Tom are taking the girl's handprints. Tom sees his chance and holds his hand in the air which makes the girls shut up and do the same. Without realising they're there because Tom hasn't verbally warned or alerted him, Alec coats his hand in fingerprint ink too. The DAC shakes Alec's hand once he's been introduced, transferring the ink to his hand. The DAC is thankfully amused and speaks to the girls.

The education welfare officer claims that his department is receiving reports that teachers wouldn't even look twice at 15 years ago. He claims he can't be sure Natalie's injuries are not non-accidental. The headteacher snarkily claims 'he is the expert and she is just a humble headteacher', but she says the injuries are too frequent and too bad to be accidental. She can't understand why it's being allowed to continue. Ms Blake claims progress has been made and that the headteacher clearly doesn't understand the pressure of poverty on Natalie's mother. "She's inadequate. She's at risk and should be removed." "Here here!" adds Yorkie.

Shirley tells June she's a cow after she arrests her after she has ignored two warnings. "Only a cow, Shirley? You usually manage better than that." "If I had AIDS I'd spit in your face." Shirley adds.

The social worker claims that there has been some overreacting recently by Social Services where they have removed children into care that was found not to be strictly necessary and that in removing the child they destroyed families. He insists they need to establish that Natalie's injuries are serious enough to obtain a full care order which, in his opinion, they are not. He suggests Natalie be placed on the at-risk register. The other option is a place of safety order that would temporarily remove her whilst the case is looked into. Police and Education vote for a place of safety order. Everyone else votes for Natalie to be added to the at-risk register. The Social Worker ends the conference, saying Natalie is to be added to the at risk register. The headteacher tells Ted that Natalie is being systematically beaten and begs him to do something. Ted repeats that they can 'nick 'em and bin 'em' like Ms Blake said and he's on his way to do exactly that.

Two prostitutes (One played by Lorraine Ashbourne) are arrested after the police spot them speaking to lone men in cars. They claim they're not regulars and are on an away day from Doncaster to try and raise some money and won't be able to use their tickets the next day. They ask if they can at least contact their mum as she'll be worried when they don't return home. As they're loaded into the van they recognise Nick Shaw. "See you later maybe." One winks before Nick quickly explains they went to the same school.

DAC Wainwright is impressed that the station has had a new lick of paint and Kite claims it's to keep things fresh and boost officers' morale. He asks to meet the Fed Rep and Kite tries to tell him the truth but Charles speaks over him and tells him that it's PC Reg Hollis, newly elected that morning and unopposed. Reg tells the DAC that he's worried about stress and that the year before 200 officers left the MET because of the stress of the job and they're still in the dark ages because M&S staff get better care than they do - without having petrol bombs thrown at them.

Ken stops the van from Operation Tom from entering the station and recommends going for a drive around until the DAC leaves because 'he's had his orders'. They park up down a side street. "What are we supposed to do?" Nick asks. "Open a mobile brothel?" Taffy suggests.

Roy comes downstairs to see where the DAC is because he's been waiting upstairs for an hour. Brian tells him he's still in talking with Reg and they've had to cut 1-2 items because his time is limited. "You could have come up and told me that!" Ted interrupts and tells Roy he wants a Place Of Safety order for Natalie as Social Services are doing sod all and Natalie is being beaten to a pulp. Roy agrees to have a look at the case with him.

The DAC goes into CAD and asks Bob if he's had any problems. Bob claims it's been nothing they can't handle. The DAC says he admires men like Bob who have been in the service a long time but are still soaking up the new tech and objectives. They run into the Brownie Pack again. Charles leads towards the rec room at the suggestion of the DAC who goes off with Brian to continue the tour.

One of the girls from Doncaster who is stuck in the back of the van with June, Nick and the others, says she needs a wee. Shirley tells her to just pee on the seats - she's going to do it too in a minute. She then suggests a singsong and says Taffy should be good at singing because he's Welsh. Taffy says he only sings in the bath. "Well you better get your rubber duck out then!"

Roy and Ted approach the Winston's flat with a uniformed officer. Roy tries to speak to Natalie's mum and explain that they're there to talk about Natalie. Mrs Winston shouts that they're not and throws something through the glass of the door that makes it shatter over Roy (genuinely think some of the glass hits John tbf). Ted jumps at the chance and breaks the rest of the glass in the door, forcing it open. He charges inside to arrest Mrs Winston whilst she shouts and swears at them. Roy goes to comfort Natalie before lifting her up and carrying her out with the uniformed officer bringing the baby and Ted escorting a protesting Mrs Winston out.

The DAC finally leaves, telling Brian he runs a tight ship and that his efforts are fully noted. Brian looks smug. The DAC drives straight past the van full of officers and prostitutes singing 10 green bottles 🤣 Finally the van pulls into the yard with its occupants still singing, just as Natalie and her little brother are taken into the police station.

Reg tells June that someone told him she was standing for Fed Rep and asks if she changed her mind. Tired, she tells him she did. Reg shrugs smugly. "Oh well, woman's prerogative" Roy asks June to sit with Natalie until Social Services arrives.

Finally, with the DAC gone and the higher-up ranks back upstairs, the station can breathe again. Uniform mocks Jim about being 'caught with a prostitute'. Tom laughs and tries the trick he learned from the Brownie leader and sticks his hand in the air to stop them. It doesn't work!🤣 As the officers continue down a corridor still singing in the background, a bruised Natalie can be seen and heard asking June where her mummy is.

[forensicated]

03x02 - Some You Win, Some You Lose

Ted is keeping an obbo on a building suspected of being used as a drugs den. Of course, he's eating while doing so; he wouldn't be Ted if he wasn't ❤ Roy calls in for an update and Ted feeds back to the waiting officers in CID, CAD, the canteen, a nearby bus and CID car that all seems quiet in the surrounding area. A motorcycle approaches as TSG start to head over but Ted tells them he thinks it's just a man picking up his girlfriend. "I wouldn't touch her, not even with Dashwood's." Dashers laughs. "Thanks Ted."

First appearances of PC Dinesh Patel and PC Ken Melvin as well as it being the first credited appearance of PC Tony Stamp.

Terry, Mike's snout gets in the back of his car and reports that yes, a major delivery is about to go down at the den that night. He's not happy about Jim being involved, however. He tells Mike that, if tonight's operation goes to plan, their main target, Bishop, will likely ring him in the morning to tell him that he wasn't able to collect. Terry will put the squeeze on to try and get details from him to find the main factory creating the drugs. He'll ring Mike at about 10am. "I'm not sure I know what all this is about," admits Jim. "It's best only a few of us know." Mike reasons.

Reg sulks that he's not been told anything about 'a secret operation' "Perhaps no one wants you to know." Bob reasons. "I'm the collater, I ought to know!"

The estate Sun Hill are targeting the supply has been like a no-go area for the police for months with concrete dropped on patrol cars and offers threatened and spat at. Hopefully, this is the start of it getting cleared up.

Bob is fed up of being stuck inside in the new CAD room learning the systems and wants to be out on the streets. Brian reassures him it will mean a better and more streamlined response for the public ones everything is implemented. "More efficient bureaucracy you mean, we're losing touch with people." "You're not changing with the times, Bob. That's part of your trouble." Kite adds.

Under cover of darkness, Sun Hill raids the drug den with Mike crowing that it's going to lead to the nicks biggest result. Jim is adamant that he recognises Terry's face, he just doesn't know where from. Mike tells him that if he tells Jim he doesn't recognise Terry, he doesn't recognise Terry.

Roy and Alec find a massive amount of drugs hidden with the piping of the building but CID!Extra shouts Roy to tell him there's a problem. The suspects are kicking off and the police are struggling to keep control. Roy shouts at Melvin to pull back and radios for back up. "Are there any tension indicators?" Brownlow asks through the radio. "... Tension indicators?" Roy repeats sarcastically. "They're throwing petrol bombs at us!"

Ted and the other backup charge in with Ted almost getting burnt alive with a petrol bomb and a PC obtaining a head wound whilst another gets knocked out cold after having concrete thrown at him. Cars are getting overturned and set alight and the rioters are using anything they can get their hands on as weapons.

Jim is amazed at what is happening as they drive around with Mike asking what he expected once addicts' supplies were threatened. They spot their main target, Bishop's Range Rover. The building itself is starting to be targeted in the hope of burning drugs before the police find them as chaos reigns. "We're rather busy at the moment, 3-0..." Roy replies when Mike keeps asking if he's receiving his messages. Jim watches Bishop return to his car and tells Mike he doesn't look like a dealer. "What did you expect? A sandwich board with 'stop me and buy some'? I wonder how he feels having just lost half a million quids worth of crack." "... Choked?"

TSG starts to push the crowd back which in turn lets Alec, Roy and CID!Extra leave with what they've found so far whilst the other officers fight to regain control.

The next morning, Bob enters CAD to find Tom, Nick and Reg ringing round police stations to find stations with enough room in their cells to take some of their prisoners. They anticipated 20 arrests and ended up with 40.

In the Collators Room, Jim goes through a load of identity cards until he comes across the one he wants with 'Terry's' details on. Upstairs Charles tells Roy he's impressed with the information from Mike's snout. Roy tells him that raid was just a den to stash the gear. The factory is a different kettle of fish and he wants to speak to him. Charles tells him that's not a good idea and it should stick to just Mike as Mike has his confidence. Mike tells Roy that his snout was suss of Jim so anyone else would tip him over and cause him to not give them more information. Little do they know that Jim is threatening that by contacting the collator at West End Nick. He's found out that Terry is really 'Dougie Gardener'

Jim goes to CID to try to tell Ted what he's found out. Ted is too busy dealing with suspects and tells him 'later!'. Mike waits in Roy's office for Terry's call, having given him Roy's direct line to save problems. He gets a meeting set up for 10 minutes time with Roy making him take Jim.

Ken worries that he's lost a prisoner as a result of being told to pull back by Roy. He has to stay in the station on standby just in case and isn't allowed to leave, even for half an hour to try to locate the man.

Roy asks Ted if he's aware of any of Mike's snouts, particularly Scottish - perhaps Glaswegian. Irish Ted shrugs. "They all sound the same to me."

A grumpy Jim and his little Russian Hat come out to meet Mike to head over to visit 'Terry'. "Are you throwing a moody?" Mike sighs.

At the same time, Dinesh and Bob set up a stolen property viewing area in the rec room for people to try and reclaim what they've had stolen. Dinesh laments the lack of postcodes on items to help them trace the owners.

Thankfully for Ken, he doesn't have to worry about going out to find his prisoner. He reports to the station, still with his hands cuffed behind his back.

June comforts the young girl as she starts to violently shake through withdrawal after they've gotten her to the FME's room, needle marks up her arm. Viv on the other hand has no sympathy whatsoever.

Jim finally tells Mike that he knows who his informant is. Mike starts to give him a speech and Jim snaps that loyalty cuts both ways. Jim claims that he's misled everyone including the Chief Superintendent. So far Gardner has gotten them half a million of crack cocaine and Mike thinks it's a good enough result for the risk. Jim tells him that he's a murderer and that in covering up who it's from and claiming he's called Terry Watts, he could end up losing his job.

Brownlow asks Kite and Tom to make an official report on the raid and how difficult it was to police. He keeps talking over Brian who repeats himself until he's able to finish. Brian is concerned how long they're keeping the suspects before they're charged. Brownlow says they're well within the times but Kite insists he doesn't see the justification to keep people who will just go on to be released. Tom is asked for his view and explains some may be charged with serious offenses and they all need interviewing before they can be released. Brownlow thanks him and dismisses him before telling Brian to mind his own business and let the Custody Officer deal with Custody. He tries to school Brownlow over PACE. Brownlow tells him he's well aware and doesn't need him pushing his own interpretation onto the ranks. "This is a matter I feel strongly about. To deprive a man of his liberty is a serious matter." Brownlow reminds him it's his station and they deal with practicalities at Sun Hill, they do not treat things like an idealistic operation from Hendon.

A vicar 'browses' the stolen property, claiming he's simply curious about what people 'mislay'. Bob explains they have a husband and wife burglar team in custody and that this property was found in their garden shed when their home was searched.

A man focuses on an expensive snuff box and, when asked by Dinesh what he's lost, tells him he's there about a silver teapot. Dinesh tells him they have three and to wait there and he'll go and get them. When he returns, the man has gone as has the cigarette case. Alec sulks that he can't get a game of snooker in!

Mike's snout appears later than agreed. He presses Mike for a bigger payment because it's more risky than he'd realised. Mike is unsure but it turns to a definite no when the snout wants paying in half kilo of drugs, claiming no one would ever know. "It depends." "On what." "How much you value your freedom." Mike tells him things stick how they are or he'll nick him and that he has a witness - pointing to Jim - who will swear anything he asks him to. The snout is incensed, telling him they could have done a lot more work together but now this is the last job he'd give Mike. Mike presses for the address.

In the yard, Brownlow briefs the troops by saying he knows they've been on duty all night (this must be approx half 10/11am now) but they're onto the final stage - closing the drugs factory - and it's imperative they stick to the same officers so there can be no leaks of information.

Roy tells them their target is a drug baron with international links to very important people. The factory is located in a squat inside the old council premises.

Dinesh reports to Reg about the man missing man with Reg not having seen him. Bob earns himself a kiss from a woman who is overjoyed to be reunited with a silver tray. She asks about the snuff box which means Dinesh has to come clean to Bob.

There are approximately 10 squatters at the premises that Mike's snout said is the drugs factory and they'll likely have a lookout so the element of surprise is a nonstarter and they'll be going in blind as they don't have enough time to obtain plans.

Sun Hill arrive at the location to hear music pouring from the squat. They send a PC Extra out to try and obtain an answer but no one answers the door. Jim does some rather impressive acrobats to scale a window with bars on and then up onto the roof and then in via a window! (the last one is fun to watch on a loop)

They're spotted by a young girl as the officers break inside. They've been fed duff information. It definitely is not a drug factory - it's just a squat where some young people live!

The old lady who is the real owner of the snuff box is very lovely about it being stolen from the station. Bob tells her to write to the commissioner for compensation and he apologises profusely. "Oh dear, I won't get you into trouble will I?" she smiles.

"Why would he have me over?" Mike fumes about his snout. Why do these officers never learn not to fuck off a snout right before a massive deal? We all know you can't pay him in drugs, but you don't need to tell him that upfront when he knows the address of a drug factory! Mike got the reg of Bishop's car so they circulate it in the hope of being able to trace it to the real drugs factory. Roy has to report back to the Superintendent for a briefing and he orders Jim and Mike to attend as well.

Bob is not best pleased when he reaches custody. Tom asks him what's wrong and he explains that about £4K of snuff box has gone walkies from the station. Both Sgt's burst out into peals of laughter.

Charles isn't as upset about losing the drugs factory as you'd think given the haul from the night before. He authorises CID to have 4 hours of overtime. In Roy's office, he tells Ted and Mike that something smells about the operation. He dials a number and tells Mike to speak to his informant. Mike nervously asks for Terry Watts when a woman answers before Roy snatches the phone from him and asks for Dougie Gardner. The woman asks who is speaking and then claims that she doesn't know any Dougie Gardner, hanging up.

Mike thinks that Jim informed Roy but Roy explains he knows only 6 'jocks' in London who could have knowledge on that scale and someone from Sun Hill has already been making inquiries about one which really narrowed it down. Mike says it was his job, his informant and he didn't want to share the glory. Roy says he knows how to deal with people like Gardner, unlike Mike, and would have had the job sewn up by now. "Villians like Gardner to not sell people like Bishop down the river unless it's for a good reason and that reason would not be a few quid from the informant's fund. Before they can continue, Jim bursts in with a report on Bishop's car. "With some luck we might be able to save this job but, Mike, don't you ever do that to me again!

CID sit in the back of a van, keeping eyes on the car. Underneath Jim is poised for action. Alec and Yorkie are slumped in the front seats of a car watching, neither expecting Bishop to turn up.

Viv and June are told by Tom that the girl they brought in has AIDS. June feels sorry for her but Viv says she's going for a shower and they can stick procedure. June agrees and follows her through. Tom offers to lend a hand lathering up.

"No chance." "Just thought I'd ask, that's all!"

A low loader breakdown wagon approaches Bishop's car before starting to load it onto the back. Ted reports it to Roy and Mike checks the reg of the lowloader. Roy reminds everyone to stay still until they get confirmation on the wagon. It's a legitimate garage. Roy follows it to the garage who tells him that the owner rang in and said he'd broken down and asked him to collect it.

"When was the last time you had a bath, Ted....?" Mike muses, trapped in a car with him. Ted pauses, frowns and starts to sniff himself. The name given to the garage was McCloud. Roy just scoffs and walks off, knowing it was Gardner who rang it in.

A council official rages at Kite for not consulting him before making the raids on public property - namely the former council offices. There'd been no hurry to evict the squatters but he has been in negotiation to sell the land to developers. With the squatters in place, he would have had to obtain a court order to get the bailiffs in and squatters out. Expensive and would take a lot of time. Now it looks as though they could have been in collusion with the police to get them out. It's a dangerous structure and the floor collapsed into the basement so they had to have it bricked up. Brian's ears prick up. The officers hadn't searched a basement as they hadn't known about it.

Roy tells Alec to arrange for the car to be towed back to the nick and then they can book off and head home to sleep. Roy then heads over to Mike and Ted. Kite radios in about the basement and they speed back to the premises. As they get there, it's already being raided by the drugs squad! "You've been well and truly screwed, mate." Ted tells Mike. Bishop had 2 students knock up the drugs for a hundred pounds a week. Gardner took his information to the Drugs Squad to really piss Mike off. Roy tells him they robbed the job from Sun Hill who had done the grunt work. "It's all part of the game Roy, some you win. Some you lose." replies the Drug Squad DI.

[forensicated]

02x11 - Whose Side Are You On?

TW: Discussion of race in terms of the mid-80s.

Bob: "Sorry to have dragged you from your orthopedic bed, Hollis but there's work to be done."

Jim: Don't scare him, Sarge!

Uniform are piling in for early turns briefing. Tom is manning the front office and is fussing and tidying everything even with the cleaner in the same room and cleaning! Jim and June are placed together and tasked to focus on a series of bag snatches happening around a supermarket. (Taffy: Perhaps they should stop calling it Safeway!" 😂 I thought this was really good but they all groaned 🤣) Pete asks if there's any description of the suspects and Viv points out what everyone else is thinking he means. "He means are they black, Sarge?" The only description is "youths". Abe asks if there are reports of any crocodile bags that have been taken. Bob asks why that might be important and Abe replies "Black people won't go near crocodiles so if they are it must be whites!" the others laugh, mocking Pete.

Tom interrupts the briefing with a note from the Superintendent. He's ordering-but-not-official-ordering everyone to attend the 5-a-side football match on Sunday that Sun Hill are playing against a youth club. He'll be hearing all excuses for absences personally.

Reg is still moaning about his bad back with Bob quipping to Viv that she should help him walk the few steps from the parade room to the comms desk. Reg doesn't find it funny. "Am I laughing?" Bob retorts.

Mike has a training session organised for the 5-a-side match but he's too late to have it mentioned in the briefing. Bob suggests a poster, "You know none of your lot can read, that's why they put pictures on wanted posters." Roy has already dipped out - it's his day for his daughter and they're going to the zoo (from what we've heard of her that sounds a bit... young... for her). Bob tries to get a place on the team and Mike not-so-subtly says that Bob is too old as it's a group of teens they're playing. He claims that 'his lot' are only a couple of years older than them and get out of breath putting their shoes on. "Bloody cheek! Just because I sit behind a desk all day doesn't mean I'm not fit, I keep active!" He then goes down to ask Viv if he looks fit to her. "Yeah, fit to drop, Sarge!"

Roy is concerned about a result that's due in court and Mike tells him not to worry. "That's my middle name!" He finds a file on Ted's desk for a murder that is 3 days old, a file that he had asked to be brought directly to his attention as soon as it arrived. "A murder? Who's dead?" Mike asks. "Roach will be when I get my hands on him!" He sends Mike in to drag him out of the canteen where he'll be filling his face again - but not before he gets him a coffee.

Pete comes to the rescue of a [new and attractive] female traffic warden when a man is reading her the riot act about how unfair she is being. He's very evasive as soon as Pete arrives, driving off as quick as possible. He then asks her for a date, claiming it's his treat and he'll see her there at 12 on Sunday, trying his best chat up lines on her which includes quoting The Beatles.

Roy bollocks Ted for not handing him the murder file immediately. Ted claims he was working towards it and that it isn't as important as the others because it was 'just a wino'. Roy tells him that murder always takes precedence and that it's no wonder Ted is always wondering why he doesn't get on in the force.

Jim and June spot an attempted mugging near a pub (Three Swedish Crowns, now a restaurant). The elderly lady is more concerned she's dropped her fish and chips. Jim follows him into an alley and ends up injuring himself.

Pete approaches an unlicensed seller who is selling from a suitcase in the street. As soon as he sees him the man legs it. 2 teenagers wind him up and he attempts to nab them but they weren't involved so he can't - as much as they irritate him.

June finds that the lady who was almost mugged has no electricity and won't for at least another day until the social visit. The gas is still on so June boils her a pan of water to make her some tea and a flask for later. She tells June to make sure she dies before her husband. Unfortunately for her, it didn't work out that way. Her only friends are at bingo so she goes there each time she gets her pension. If she wins - she pays the bills. That's how the gas is still on.

Pete tries to pull some money out at an ATM in advance of his date. Unfortunately, he's exceeded his limit and it won't let him have any.

Jim has twisted his ankle and has to attend the hospital. He manages to get Bob to let him see the rest of the shift out first and takes over the comms desk with Bob going on the beat in Jim's place. "Last time you were on the beat we had bicycles and fog lamps." Tom smirks. "And Jack The Ripper was still out and about, I've heard it all." Bob snarks in response.

Charles tries to get Roy to rearrange his Sunday afternoon to attend the football to make a presentation. Roy reminds him he can't because he has leave booked to spend time with his daughter but Charles doesn't really take no for an answer. Roy is not happy.

2 Japanese tourists ask June if she can take a picture of them and Bob together after they've (sort of, given the language barrier) told them how to get to Tower Bridge. "Well smile!" "This is a smile!" From the way it comes about I can't help but wonder if it was some lost tourists and they stayed in character to help and it got included 😂

Roy asks his daughter if they can delay their afternoon slightly and wants her to meet him at the Zoo. "The Zoo...? It's a bit boring...." Julia replies before suggesting shopping in Covent Garden instead. Roy gives in, agreeing to meet her at 4.30pm.

Mike hadn't heard what had happened to Jim and is not impressed when it's clear he wouldn't be ready for Sunday and the game. Mike calls Jim is the best player they had and is visibly concerned when June tells him that Bob is looking for him. "I bet he is..." Mike sighs. Seconds later, Reg tells him that Bob is looking for him. He escapes to CID and Ted tells him that Bob was in looking for him. 😂 Got to hand it to him, Bob is a trier! Mike admits he already knows, telling Ted that Bob wants to play in the match. Ted smirks, telling him that Roy is now attending so perhaps he can be talked into it. "No thanks, amongst all his other pet hates is football."

Ted has finally got a name for his murder victim - Henry, known as King Henry. Roy asks Mike how his trial went and he has to admit that it was adjourned through circumstantial evidence centered around the criminal's tools - as his "employer" vouched for him that he needed them for his job - despite him never having worked a day in his life.

Bob orders Reg to go for a full physical because he's had enough of him complaining about his back and slacking off. If there is something really wrong with him - he's having him transferred! Bob then helps Ted track down the address of a nurse who helps the homeless and drunks on an ad-hoc basis - the entire time Mike is trying very hard to avoid meeting his eyeline!

Abe appears to be limping slightly but he insists it'll keep and he will be fine for the game. Pete refuses to play on Sunday because he's on a date seeing his invalid mother having borrowed money from June to go see her. Abe suggests to Mike that if he doesn't want Bob on the team then perhaps he should look at the women to step up. He suggests Viv in particular as she plays netball. Dashers asks Viv and pretends that Brownlow gave him a bollocking for not asking a female officer because they're an "equal opportunities employer." Viv agrees and Dashers switches on the charm. "I bet you look wonderful in shorts." The boys find it hilarious when she tells them she's going to be their goalie.

A guest character's name is Billy Murray. I'm easily amused.

Pete manages to nick his suitcase trader finally, sneaking in round the back way. Reg has gone out with Tom to help collect him, sulking as he has to carry the trader's suitcase. Roy finds that his 'branded' watches are fakes and suggests a criminal deception charge. The seller claims he bought them with his redundancy money from a man in the pub and he'd been knocking them out to make a living.

An elderly lady tells Ted that his drunk's wife and child were killed by a gas leak whilst he was working nights and it gave him serious mental health issues and led him to drink. He had fancy ideas of buying his house with the compensation he was meant to receive from the gas board but he never did get it and the street was knocked down not long after - he ended up living rough afterwards. The nurse Bob put him in touch with tells him that Henry had a very ugly and badly patched scar on his stomach from a war wound. All in all the poor man had a very sad life.

Pete sits in the pub on Sunday waiting for the traffic warden to arrive. At the very best she's running late, at worst he's been stood up. When she doesn't show up, he heads to the football match.

Sun Hill starts to arrive for the football match with the Rotary Club man assuming that Ted is DI Galloway. He wonders if they can do the presentation before the game because he has a pressing engagement. Uniform and Mike go to change and Viv heads into the ladies with Yorkie offering to go with her with a jokey promise of "I won't look!" "I might." Viv smirks. "And I might be disappointed!" "We're not here to win but we're not here to lose either!" Mike tells them, insisting it came down from the Super.

The Sun Hill team are not bad players... but poor old Viv is not a born goalie and the youths are 2 nil up within minutes. Abe makes it 2-1.

Viv makes her first save, Abe behaves like a gentleman after a foul and Yorkie makes it 2-2. Jim is moaning about Taffy and how badly he's playing in 'his position'. Uniform bet on the outcome of the match. There seems to be a bit of a continuity error too as Jeff/Reg has no earring and then an earring in the same sentence.

Reg thinks Taffy is dying out there and Jim scoffs that he's dead with Tom adding they should send him home for his funeral given how he's playing. Roy wants them to hurry up as he wants to get to meet his daughter. In the toilets, Bob goes to pull up Pete for using racial insults against Abe. Roy comes through part of the way in and tells Pete he should listen to Bob, his prejudice has been noted. Roy hands Bob some money to buy everyone a drink after but he skips out early to spend time with his daughter, lamenting that if he'd done it that way before now he might still have a marriage.

Jim thinks he recognises the two he was chasing before he did his ankle in. They end up 5-2 down. Jim asks Abe how he's going to live it down. "Viv. A woman.... the best excuse a man can ever have."

[forensicated]

02x09 - Loan Shark

TW: Unauthorised money lending, stereotypical talk about travelers and suicide discussion/depiction circa mid 1980's time of writing/filming.

A large amount of rubble has been dumped in the street by a fly-tipper. The lady demands that Taffy deal with it - now! - Taffy snarkily suggests she hand him a dustpan and brush. One of the council road sweepers has spotted the fly sweeper but he's now in the hospital after being hit by the truck involved.

A woman, Mrs Taylor, reports that her neighbour has been moving heavy furniture at all hours, playing loud music and 'has been sick on my windows'. She reports that the lady "is not 'riff-raff', her husband was a hospital administrator after all", but she's now taken to drink.

A shoplifter, Sharon, played by Michelle 'Cindy Beale' Collins. was stopped by a security guard after slipping a few bits of shopping in her bag without paying before leaving. Jim tries to encourage the security guard to let it slide because the loss is less than £2 and food for her children but she won't hear of it. Sharon protests she hasn't got any money and Jim tells her to say that to the Sergeant when she's being processed.

An adorable little dog has been brought into the front office after the teens who found him couldn't read his name tag. It appears that it's in either Russian or Polish as far as Pete can work out.

Ted asks Bob to to get his relief to keep an eye out for some car thieves and reports CID is so quiet, Roy is looking through holiday brochures. "I'm afraid he's going to ask me to go with him!"

Jim tries to help Sharon calm her toddler who has been screaming for the entire journey. "It's just like home." She sighs, looking around the room. "No sodding furniture."

Charles reports to Bob that there has been a report of an epidemic of commercial flytipping south of the river which has started to spread to Sun Hill. He's had a report from the resident that Taffy dealt with that she didn't see the funny side of his dustpan comment. He isn't taking it further but wants him to remind the troops to remain courteous. He then asks if Bob has any ideas about bringing some colour to the station. Bob is utterly lost so Charles hands him a copy of his 'Swedish report' memo. Flummoxed, Bob suggests that June is a dab hand at flower arranging. Unfortunately when asked it turns out that June knows nothing about flowers.

Bob processes Sharon and asks if she's getting the relevant benefits and if her ex is involved. She says all he did was send a Boots voucher at Christmas. Bob asks where her child allowance book is and she confesses - eventually - that she borrowed £100 and that 'a man' has taken her child allowance book away incase she tried to cheat him. Bob thinks it through and realises, given where Sharon lives, it must be Peg 'Aunty Peg' Miller and her son Bob, the not-so-friendly local loan shark. Sharon insists she's not a waster and that she'll support her kids no matter what, clamming up. Bob asks if a caution can be authorised for Sharon as it's all down to reduced circumstances and a loan shark having taken her benefits. Thankfully it's allowed.

Mrs Taylor, who reported her neighbour earlier has returned with a mirror she says she found hanging in the hallway of their flats with a message written on it in lipstick saying. 'I can't John, I can't." the named man is her husband who, Taylor tells Bob, has passed away.

In the pub, Bob and Roy discuss Peg Miller and her son. Roy is surprised to hear of the son because he sent him down for a long stretch but he's out again and is causing trouble on the estates. He tells him about Sharon and Roy says to nick him but Sharon won't press charges. He says he's passed it on to the DHSS (DWP now) but Roy says they're more interested in the easy win of OAP's earning beer money than loan sharks and won't do anything. Bob thinks about it, especially knowing that Auntie Peg will have been playing on all the vulnerable residents on the estate. He agrees to work with Roy to stop her and her son. He says he'll put Jim on it and they laugh that he'll probably lecture them on philosophy and the meaning of life whilst Miller is kicking his head in.

In the briefing, Bob tells Uniform that the fly typing has escalated and that they've not only had one man run over but another who confronted them had a spade wrapped round his head. Then, to eyerolls, he reminds them about deportment when dealing with members of the public. "That is manners in Welsh, Edwards."

Jim speaks to Bob about the loan shark business. Bob recommends that he doesn't actually mention the words 'loan shark' and to speak to the caretaker on the estate to see if he's heard anything about what's been going on.

Roy has sent down a gift for Bob. "Apparently they're very popular in Sweden."

The relief are very confused by it...

Jim approaches the Hardie Estate, the first I've heard mentioned in the first couple of series that remains in the later ones!

The caretaker isn't available but the Community Center's manager turns up with her toddler daughter moments later. "I just wanted to know if everything's OK..." Jim starts. "On here? You've got to be joking." she drawls, seeing right through him. "What's up?" Jim admits he needs some information and immediately brings up illegal money lending despite Bob telling him not to. It works out however as the manager tells him that most of the people on the estate are in poverty and they can't get credit elsewhere so they have to use illegal money lenders. The local one is Peg Miller who pretends to be on their side and tells them she knows how hard it is at the start of their 'relationship'. They borrow £100 and pay it back £10 a week over 13 weeks. It doesn't seem hard or problematic at the start - even with £30 interest being paid. However, the trick is that Peg doesn't the loan paid off so suggests that she keeps topping it up and loaning more and more for various reasons until it's completely unaffordable. For every thousand pound she lays out, she has £100 coming back in every single week just in interest. She takes their benefit books as insurance and uses intimidation by her son and humiliation if people don't pay. The manager has heard all sorts from the simple being shouted at in shops by Peggy through to being branded, pushed down concrete stairs, their windows broken and furniture stolen. The manager doesn't know of anyone who would speak out against them though.

Mrs Taylor is back to report that her neighbour had a man over who was "not her class at all, when her husband was alive anyway" and that they'd been banging around upstairs and shouting all night. At the same time, a caller reports another illegal fly tipping blocking their culdesac with a dog run over and residents threatened.

Taffy has left his radio in the car whilst he visits a demolition site. The foreman insists his boys would not drop illegally and that they use a legal site that is 5 miles away to unload their wagons.

Jim goes to speak to Sharon at her part-time job in the laundrette. He asks if she's had any trouble or if there have been any signs of breaks in. Sharon is defensive and upset at the interference and tells him that she doesn't know what he's talking about. Jim tells her the agreement Peggy made is unenforceable and she doesn't have to pay it back. If she attended the station he promises that he would help her know her rights. Sharon points out that she has to still live on the estate with her children and that people are already talking about her after seeing the police around her. She's never been in trouble before and she has to protect her children and wants him to get off her back and - if he really wants to help - to go see her husband who is refusing to pay maintenance for their children.

Jim and Bob speak to Roy about the money lending on the estate. Jim thinks it's horrific that the sick, disabled, elderly and poor are forced to go to money lenders to get cash because no one else will help. Some estates have started credit unions in Scotland to fight back. "Socially minded.." Bob smiles at Roy after dismissing Jim. "He's right this time though...." Roy sighs. "For a change..." Roy thinks it's about time he has a word with Auntie Peg.

Bob radios June to request her to visit Mrs Taylor who has rung in sounding hysterical. When June gets there, Taylor's neighbours are comforting her and promising her her husband will arrive soon. Another neighbour takes June inside and shows her that blood is dripping from Mrs Taylor's ceiling from the flat above. June hurries upstairs with the woman as a witness to her breaking in to find that the woman has seemingly committed suicide on the living room floor.

Roy and Ted enter a posh wine bar with Roy looking very uncomfortable. After ordering their drinks - scotch of course - they make their way over to the owner... Peggy 'Auntie Peg' Miller. Peg claims she's just an old fashioned tally girl who lives to look after people and, if she'd moved away when things took an upturn for her club, "who would have got the kiddies their clothes for going back to school, ey?" She doesn't want to let people down. Roy tells her that he's heard she's holding on to benefit books as security. She looks to Ted. "I thought this was friendly?". "As long as it's friendly there's some young tarts on the estate spreading rumours." She says, claiming that she only does good and can't stop people mouthing off but she holds no rumours. She says her son Bob doesn't want any more trouble after being in prison and that it really is a deterrent. Roy tells her he's going to ask the DHSS to run some inquiries about some of the people receiving benefits on the Hardie estate to make sure that it really is going to them "Don't make me laugh, Mr Galloway!" She smirks before, unmoved, Roy walks out. She shouts after him that it's her who has to look after "the poor devils that the DHSS can't be bothered with!"

Pete and Taffy sit in a panda opposite the demolition site. Pete says he reckons that it will be gypsies that are fly-tipping after being paid to get rid of it by the foremen of building/demolition sites.

Mike and June have a look around the flat to see if there's any cvlue why Mrs Taylor's neighbour would have committed suicide, other than the obvious. Dashers holds up a coronation cup and asks where June was. June calls him a cheeky bugger and says she was barely a gleam in her mother's eye. (Trudie would have been almost exactly 18m if it helps you work out June's canon age.) They've found an exercise book of 'Dear John' type stuff and that it's creepy. He says that getting married is a waste of time. June says that it works for some people. "... Didn't work for [the victim]." Dashers says crassly.

Viv reports that Peg's son, 'Freezer Bob' (Played by Duncan Preston) is removing furniture forcibly from the home of an elderly man. Freezer Bob insists everything is under control and it's a personal matter. The man insists that it's his property and he has no right to take it. Freezer Bob says it's an ongoing longstanding agreement between "me and Pop Curtis." A woman on the estate - the manager of the community center - tells Curtis to tell the police what is really going on. Freezer Bob ignores her at first before threatening her and telling her to keep her nose out of it. He insists the property belongs to him. "You got an order?" Pete asks. "A possession order." Without it he has no proof of what he's saying. Curtis snaps at him to put his property back in his kitchen. Pete's not taking any messing so Freezer Bob tells his mate to put it all back and that he'll 'Get his money, Pop!' "When I've got it, cock!" Curtis growls back. Freezer Bob stalks off to go place bets at the races.

Another uncredited extra appearance by Graham Cole as Tony Stamp

The community center manager comes into the station to speak to CID. She, Mrs Hall, tells Roy that she's not scared of the Millers as she has a husband, a father and 2 big brothers on standby to have her back. God love her, she's 5ft nothing with a mouth bigger than she is tall. Everyone needs someone like her! She asks Roy to check up with Sharon because she's really not managing. Roy gets Mike to take her statement and arranges to go with Ted to deal with not-so-sweet-Aunt Peg. Roy is adorable when he says goodbye to Mrs Hall's daughter after thanking her for her help.

Mrs Taylor asks June if she really does have to attend the inquest for her neighbour's suicide. June tells her that she does and then she asks about how she gets her ceiling and carpet cleaned.

Bob's report into the fly-tipping does not make good reading for Charles. There have been 5 more drops, the road sweeper in hospital, the dog that died and a garden wall has been demolished by the truck. It seems to come down to 2 Welsh men who had a dodgy registration. Charles wonders if they're disillusioned miners up to 'get their own back' and suggests Bob check the Merthyr computer with their descriptions. The foremen of the sites won't help because they're still getting rid of their rubbish for cheaper than the official places without the effort of transporting it.

A driver is stopped with a broken tail light and poor tread. He offers to give the police information about the Welsh fly-tippers if they let them go. Given that it's Pete... they do! The driver tells them the pubs that they frequent.

Harriet Thorpe guest starts as 'Tarty Woman' who complains about Roy and Ted seeming to jump the queue when going to see Peggy.

The officers ignore her and ring the doorbell. 'Tarty Woman' tells them there's no one home and they'll tell her that the police called. A neighbour has Sharon in her flat with her when Mike arrives. He identifies himself to the neighbour as police and says they've heard about threats made against Sharon. The neighbour says he's too late and Sharon shouts, from inside, for her to shut up and not tell him. Sharon appears holding her toddler and tells him she's got her child allowance book returned, but her arm is scalded red and she has a tea towel wrapped round it. Freezer Bob has made a visit... Mike apologises and takes her down to casualty to have it checked out. He reports it to Roy and Ted and tells them that he's already asked - she won't inform on them.

The boys watch Peggy make her house to house calls. "All that cash and no one touches her..." "They wouldn't dare. Would you?" Peggy stands outside 'Irene's' house and shouts and makes a scene in front of the neighbours before threatening to send her son around. Ted and Roy have seen enough and they march over to the house, asking Peggy where her son is and what he's done to Sharon. "He's gone too far this time." "Don't believe her, she's a lying little whore." They're adding conspiracy to her charges but Ted promises he'll pretend not to have heard it if she tells them where Freezer Bob is. Threatened with a spell in prison, Peggy tells them that he's at the races and where to find him. "I'll see you later." Ted growls.

The barman of a local pub calls the station, he has a lorry in his car park threatening to drop 20 tonnes of rubble. Pete and Taffy are sent over in the car and Yorkie attends on foot. The truck starts to drop the load as the landlord offers the two men £20 not to. Taffy and Pete make it in time. Taffy goes for the driver who tries to kick him in the face and then rip his head off whilst Pete tackles the oppo who tries to twat him with a spade repeatedly. Taffy clings on as both fall out of the cab but Yorkie makes it in time to grab the man and drag him off Taffy. The landlord then snaps that the boys have made a right mess of it (!!!!) That's thanks for you! "I've got a complaint winging its way in son, your feet won't touch the ground!" he threatens Bob who arrived to see what happened.

Roy and Ted enter the pub and spot Freezer Bob indulging in some illegal gambling. They approach him and arrest him for what he's done to Sharon. None of the men he's shouting to for alibi's step up for him. Not very popular is he!

Pop Curtis tells Jim that Freezer Bob is not very bright and keeps messing up hence getting arrested. He claims that Peggy is twice the man that her son is. She once pulled his false teeth straight out of his mouth once he missed a payment. He won't give a statement because if he does it won't solve anything. There's "Pal Joey" and "Lily Friend." who are nearby who are also illegal money lenders. "Debt doesn't go away, son." he tells Jim.