#sonesh sira

[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]

03x08 - Double Trouble

TW: Sexual health talk in the terms of the 1980's

The uniform boys pass the time to the end of the shift by playing rugby in the yard with June and Viv laughing about how the boys will never grow up.

Ted is attempting to arrange an identity parade for a suspect who is adamant he's innocent and not the man they're looking for. Bob tells Roy they've no chance of getting 12 people who match the descriptions required given it's a Saturday afternoon with both rugby and football matches happening. Unfortunately, the duty brief is a rottweiler and has a smart reply for everything they bring up, working out all the loopholes and attempts to get her client out of the station as soon as possible.

Jim worries he can't remember what happened in a case from 6 months ago that is due in court on Monday. Mike won't go through the case with him and tells him to check his notes. Roy keeps loading him up with other work so he doesn't really get the chance to! As he manages to find a quiet 5 minutes he's joined by Mike mulling over their current case - poor JimJim can't catch a break.

Bob receives a call from CIB ordering no one off the early turn be allowed to go home as they need to speak to them but won't tell him why. Brian tries to suggest that the CIB issue likely happened before he arrived but Bob cuts him down saying he won't escape it that easily. If they want people holding back it's likely criminal and happened that morning. "They better not have let me down!"

Yorkie worries CIB are there because he accepted a couple of tapes from a trader of top 40 hits. They were poor quality and he palmed them onto Nick but he still thinks that it could be about to land him in the crap. He tells Nick and they come up with a plan to hide them in the cisterns of the men's toilets with Nick keeping watch.

Brownlow tells Bob that a member of the public has made a serious complaint that involves the relief. Brian claims there'll be no irregularities in his books and Brownlow reminds him they're not there to check paperwork. Bob calls CIB the Gestapo and gets told off by both Brownlow and Brian but he sticks to his guns. "It's the way they go about it I object to."

CIB tell Brownlow that a member of the public was given an on-the-spot fine by a PC who pocketed the cash. He was not given a receipt or ticket in return. Nearby was a panda with a WPC inside. CIB want an identification parade for the victim. Brownlow and Brian tell them it's not possible given the sheer amount of similar-looking officers needed for each identity parade as it would need almost 100 different officers. CIB suggests the only other option is an admission from the officer involved. Brownlow checks and sees Yorkie and Nick booked out panda cars at the time and that only Yorkie has noted a passenger. He suggests that it could be officers from another station that have crept onto the area. CIB thinks it unlikely.

Props to the newspaper cut out behind Roy.😂😂

Those forensic swabs don't look particularly well protected from picking up other DNA on them! Either way, Roy asks for them to be tested against what was found on the victim's sweatshirt.

Tony enters CAD with a couple of coffees. He accidentally spills one over Dinesh's computer. Dinesh loses everything he'd been inputting for that day...it'd been a busy one!

Brownlow catches them trying to hoover it out 😂

Yorkie is interviewed first and asked where the money he took from the victim is. He has no idea what they're on about and turns his pockets out. He admits to taking £50 from the ATM the night before, he has 18 at home, spent a tenner in the pub that night and there's about £12 in his pocket. He's told to wait in another room whilst Taffy is spoken to. Bob takes him into the gent's toilets and asks what is going on and feeds it back to the others in the rec room. Taffy explains Yorkie dropped him onto his beat and that they didn't stop where CIB claimed he did. Taffy has a medical card on him for an appointment that afternoon and one Inspector smirks that it's for a hospital that specialise in venereal diseases. "Dip your wick in a wrong 'un did you?" Taffy tells them he has a girl back home (perhaps written before the marriage and slotted in in the wrong place or is Mary commuting between the two whilst things get sorted?) Taffy snaps that it's just a common infection and they mock him, insinuating he's been up to other immoral things. It's just thrush! 🤦‍♀️

June is looking at holiday brochures and would love to get away if she could get someone in to look after her dad. Tom asks if she has any relatives to help or let him stay with them for a bit and June scoffs, claiming she only knows they exist because she receives a Christmas card from them. "You've got to break free, June. You'll be an old maid before you know it."

Reg is cornered by the others who claim that his being able to help is unlikely. He tells them if they have a genuine grievance he will take it up for them as their Fed Rep.

Nick Shaw is called in after Taffy is dismissed. Yorkie is still in a side room waiting. CIB mock Nick for his name and claim he'd be pulling a rikshaw in China if he was called Rick. 🤦‍♀️ Nick explains what he did and is caught out for carrying June - back to the station.

Brian suggests the identity parade be put off until Monday as he can't find enough suitable people. Ted overhears and suggests that he give Mike and him a van for half an hour and they'll find the right amount of people.

Bob goes to ask Roy what he knows of the CIB officers. One of them he has worked with previously and says that he was one of the most bent police officers he'd ever known. "Sam Sam the fit-up man, that's what the villains called him. Nick 'em and fleece 'em, that was his motto." He reckons Sam had an inside man who warned him things were getting too close for comfort and so he transferred to CIB.

Nick is being patted down as the CIB Inspector shouts at him for not recording that June had been in the car. He says he'd have overlooked it if Nick had helped him but as he isn't he's going to have the book thrown at him. Nick repeats he doesn't know what they're on about. "You can both go to hell!" They want to know if he's a by-the-book copper or one who sees it as a way of raising cash.

Ted rounds up 12 football fans off the street with Mike 'persuading' them with some beer money to take part in the parade. One makes a break for it and is caught by uniform already in the yard. The young lad tells Ted he 'never touched a penny of it!' Brian is impressed, not only has Ted gotten the parade arranged, but he's also arrested an outstanding warrant from Liverpool wanted for aggravated burglary.

Bob returns to the room and is told by CIB that Nick has been unprofessional. Bob won't hear any of it and tells them he's a hard-working and outstanding officer and he would stake his life on his honesty. CIB order a full statement from Nick of everything he'd done that morning and ask to see June next.

Reg receives a phone call that has been put through incorrectly. A man reports he has been fined for parking on a double yellow line whilst the officers who are being accused are still in the station. He goes through to Roy and tells him about it. The officers who fined the man are back at the same place so Roy sends Mike, Ted and Jim to go arrest them.

June is read a caution with the inspectors refusing to tell her why - only that she'll find out in time. "I don't believe what they're saying, they are evil and they're on our side!" Nick exclaims to Bob. They called him a coward and said he needed to point the finger at June who hasn't done anything wrong, he'd just forgotten to record her name as a passenger. Bob tells him they're conning him and can't do them for that. "They scared the shit out of me!" he says in relief.

Ted purposely parks on a double yellow line whilst he goes to get some cigarettes. Jim takes a 'walk' and Mike approaches slowly. The officer approaches him and tries to fine him on the spot. Ted pretends to search for his wallet before grabbing the man. The man initially breaks free but Ted catches him as Mike checks out the car - complete with a magnetic police sign on the door - and Jim pulls the fake WPC out the passenger side.

June empties her handbag onto the desk and then her pockets. They rifle through her things and claim the holiday brochure means she must be doing it to fund her holiday and claim that Nick is going with her. She laughs and they ask if she finds it amusing and if she'd find being charged with theft amusing. They accuse her of taking the money and not being careful enough about it. "If you're going to charge me, charge me!" One hands her the brochure back. "I suppose because you're a woman you think you should receive special treatment!" They tell her she'll get no mercy from them.

The rottweiler brief is surprised at the victim's face being badly marked from the assault. Roy points out she'd spent the time looking for loopholes rather than reading the statement. She takes a second look without her glasses - something the brief had insisted would mean it was unlikely she'd recognise him. She spots him immediately and gets the correct man, flying at him and scratching his face.

Mike and Ted return to the station with two fake officers. It turns out the man works in the police garage and stole police uniforms and panda cars to carry out their scam. The 'WPC' is his girlfriend.

June says she'd be the first to shop anyone who did something wrong, but now she's met them she's not sure she'd turn anyone in! The Inspector snarks that she certainly wouldn't turn Nick in and June snaps that nothing is going on. At the same time, Roy opens the door with a smile and tells the two CIB officers that they've got the two fake officers who have been conning the public. "I'm not finished yet!" says one before Bob glares at him and takes June's things back. "Yes you are, chummy." he says, leading June out. "Bet you're glad you're retiring soon.... " muses Roy. Sam, the bent copper that Roy knew of old, claims that he told his 'friend' the exact same thing and that he knew it wasn't any of them - especially 'not the girl' he claims as he leads Roy out, the other officer staring after them in disbelief.

[forensicated]

03x06 - What Are Little Boys Are Made Of?

Robin Frank is at a local school for a police initiative where he is marking the bikes of children with their postcodes in a way that cannot be removed. He shouts a paper boy over and offers to do his bike there and then. The boy seems very nervous and takes a few seconds before he gives his postcode.

Alec tells June that a £200 trophy that they'd spent the previous day looking for has been found in a cupboard where the owners wife had put it 'out the way' "She should do the same with her husband." June laughs. Nick runs down the corridor and into CAD telling them 'he's coming, and he's got the paper with him!' Alec arrives right behind him (too soon given how far Nick was ahead of him when he ran off.) An angry Brownlow enters CID looking for Brian Kite who hasn't yet arrived. Ken tells Alec there's a 999 call coming in from the yard. "Probably wants to buy a car." Alec sniggers. "It's a bus actually..." Ken adds innocently, making Alec giggle even more.

A 9 year old boy has thrown a milk bottle at a bus which caused it to make an emergency stop and injure people. A man who's wife was injured goes to strike the boy, stopped by Taffy who tells him not to make the situation worse and to go to his wife.

Ted interrupts Tom and Dinesh's custody stocktake and tries to get Tom to sign a prisoner out for interview. Tom can't help as the prisoner needs 8 hours to rest so can't be let out until 9.45am. Ted is in court at 10 on another case and can't wait that long but Tom will not move. "Why should that bastard get 8 hours? I've only had 3!" His prisoner is also due a review at 12pm - when Ted still won't be back! He'll be gone if Brownlow doesn't agree for an extension.

Brownlow is in his office moaning at the local paper for not having 'checked with the officer concerned' and warns them he'll be writing to the editor about it. Ted knocks to ask him to extend the prisoners time in custody but he's too busy to speak to him. Kite arrives behind him and is ordered inside. Charles' car has been listed in the classifieds. "Your car sir? I didn't realise you were selling it." "I'm not. Some cheeky bastard has put my car in there as a piss take!" he snaps. "I had six phone calls last night and three before breakfast! You find that amusing? Somebody in this nick does!" Brian scoffs and says that he expects discipline and professionalism from the men. "I mean they haven't even asked a sensible price."

Taffy takes the boy who threw the bottle at the bus home and explains to his mother what happened. She refuses to let him in the house and says she's had enough and he's more trouble than her other six kids put together. She says he should lock him up.

At the front desk, 2 boys hand in a big black bag of electricity saving stamps that they saw a man throw in a canal. They agree to stay and give a report about it to CID.

Mike says he can't interview Ted's prisoner because he doesn't know anything about it as its not his case. Jim offers to 'have a bash' and Ted just stares at him before turning back. "Tom Penny actually enjoys it, that's what really gets up my nose!" Mike tells him he might not be long in court but the magistrate Ted has is known to be long winded. His girlfriend, Maggie, rings and asks if he's booked the restaurant for them. He tells her he has before hanging up. "Shit! What time to restaurants open?" "Proper ones? A while yet." Mike smirks. Ted asks Mike, "The Sloane Ranger of East One." to book a nice restaurant for that night at 8pm. "It'll be a pleasure Ted. What are you celebrating?" "The anniversary of our first bunk up!" Mike looks stunned for a second before turning to look at Jim. "Ever think you'll celebrate yours, Jim?" "Sorry?" "Nothing...." Jim goes down to speak to the lads who brought the stamps in.

Taffy walks the child back to school and they bump into Robin who asks him if they're there for postcoding. "Hardly. Don't even want this one back." Taffy sighs, offering the kid a sweet as he takes him into the building.

The stamps have a total value of just under £133,000 once counted. The boys reckon there's another 2 sacks that were thrown into the canal and have given a description of the men who did it and the vehicle they drove off in. Roy doesn't buy it because the boys were night fishing and it's a lot to have seen clearly at 5am. Jim says it's not pitch black at that time (it is if you go by when it aired - 26th October! - rather than when it was filmed) Jim doesn't think they're lying but Roy tells him not to take everything at face value. He asks him to ask Reg if there's any forgery intelligence about at the moment and to ask the teen's parents to come in. He also says he'll speak to Charles about a frogman in the canal.

Ted asks Charles to authorise further extension to custody because he has to go to court and if he's sent out on bail then they'll likely not get him again. Charles suggests asking Roy to interview him but Ted says that it's his case and the others don't know enough to get the 'crafty bastard' on the hook. Without any charges pending, Charles refuses to extend the custody. He'll be released before Ted gets back.

In the canteen, uniform discuss the advert for Brownlow's car. Nick assures them Brownlow can't prove it was any of them who placed it. Part of the fun is that Brownlow has no sense of humour, so there'd be no point in doing it otherwise. Reg cheers them all up by asking them how they feel about Hepatitis B and that there's a thousand ways they could catch it! Nick is called from the table by Alec. "Alright, who grassed?" he drawls "... Chief Super?" "No, Bob Cryer. He's got a job for you." Alec says before grinning.

Bob wants a prisoner collected from another station and tells Nick to take June with him after Nick suggests using his own car because of the lack of police vehicles free. Brian corners Bob and asks if he thinks Nick placed the article in the paper. Bob just looks at Brian with a 'Seriously?' expression before returning to his duties.

Robin is giving a lesson in a school about unsafe places to play. At the back of the class the child who Taffy bought in is being comforted by a teacher. Close up it's obvious that he's neglected and is filthy. Taffy goes up to speak to the headteacher and passes on a message from Youth And Communities about a new anti-drugs campaign. He refuses to allow them in 'no access, no brain washing, no spying'. He insists, clearly against police presence from the off.

Nick takes June a 'quick' way to the other station. He pulls into a Makro for a bit of shopping to collect booze for a party at his flat that night. June isn't happy and stays in the car to wait for him. Nick tries to run a red light at some roadworks and June shouts at him to stop only for the car behind to crash into them and crush his boot. Nick won't wait for the mans details when he gets out and apologises and insists he must go. When they get to the flat Nick cannot open the boot and insists he needs something heavy to do so. Whilst he's off getting a sledge hammer June manages to open it without any fuss. Several bottles are already broken and have leaked all over the boot. June drops the first box she's given, breaking even more bottles. To add insult to injury, the boot now will not stay closed!

Bob attends the house of a young lad who is considering entering the police force with his father rather annoyed because he'd wanted him to go into the army like him. What makes it worse for the father is that his son wants to join the Essex police and move out of home rather than stay and join the MET.

Roy speaks to Jim who updates him that they've found two more sacks of stamps and the machine that makes them. There's a multimillion pound forgery racket on their hands as it ties in with other discoveries. Unfortunately it must be sent up to the yard to be dealt with. Roy 'consoles' Jim by sending him back to the station to deal with a little old lady who has been conned out of a fiver.

Jim is very adorable with the elderly lady who seems confused as to whether she was scammed or not. The money was her cigarette money and some children called looking for their mouse and distracted her. When she went to get it a little later it had gone and they'd been the only ones in the house.

Yorkie attends an address and tells them they've found a bike with their postcode. The couple are confused as they haven't lost one and their neighbours are all elderly. Viv later tells him the bike has been reported stolen by a man who has never had the bike postcoded.

Before he can deal with it, they're called to a children's home to deal with a boy who keeps going missing on a regular basis. Social Services want to move him to a secure unit to stop it but Jake does not want to go. Yorkie tries to speak to the home manager and tells him that he can only prevent a breach of the peace. Jake snaps that he's got no problems and doesn't need to go to a 'bleedin' prison!' The manager explains that he brought a knife into the home and that they now need to get him more help. Yorkie offers to attend the new home and play snooker with him once a week and Jake swears at him.

Jim is still sulking that he's lost out on millions of pounds worth of forgeries. Dashers snaps that their job is petty theft, vandals, muggers and perverts and it's what the public care about.

Nick arrives a little late and roughly £200 down that June warns he won't get back from his mileage claim. She snaps at him to stop calling her 'Ackers' and says he's frightened because he can't handle women. The boot has been tied down to stop it opening by itself.

Taffy loses his temper at having to wait for Jake to make his mind up so forces the boy to stand and marches him out the home with his arms locked behind his back. Yorkie is not happy as it upsets the other children in the home and has undone months of work gaining their trust. Taffy snaps he should have been taught a different way to behave when he was 3 and that it's too late now for him to change. Returning to Sun Hill, Taffy gets cut up and tries to order the car over. The woman driver parks outside a house, ignoring him at first before telling him to clear off and refusing a breath test. Taffy tries to arrest her and she falls over. Later Bob arrives to test her himself. Her breath test is positive but she's adamant she only had two glasses of sherry. She panics that she's going to lose her license as she's a GP.

Ted runs back into the station after court to get his prisoner out as he's still on the custody board. He's 53 minutes late, the man was let go. He goes to hit Tom but Dinesh arrives in time. Ted pushes him away and stalks off upstairs.

Yorkie goes from the home to call in at the little old lady who had been conned by the children. He finds she hadn't locked her front door whilst at the station and that she must have left her kitchen taps on cos her kitchen has flooded. He sighs and starts to clear it up.

Bob returns as Nick does and shouts at him for being late. He claims that he's late because they were in a hit and run. He says he doesn't have his details because a 'child ran in front the car' which caused him to break and that the mileage is high because they took some wrong turnings through June's navigation. Bob tells him he's only getting the 20 miles round trip that it took. As Bob and Nick turn to go in, Charles is seen looking at the back of Nick's car. "Had a bash, Shaw? What a pity...." he murmurs, not hiding his smirk.

Viv calls Yorkie and updates him that the suspected children who conned the old lady have been spotted. Yorkie tells the old dear to lock the door and he'll return later to finish cleaning up. He meets up with Jim and Dashers to catch the kids. They manage to grab two of them with Jim exacting a perfect rugby tackle to take his down. Yorkie has more of a run with his tiny one though - involving a slide that he gets stuck in for a few seconds before he runs back up the stairs again. Poor Yorkie is exhausted and the kid gets away - taunting him by waiting for him each time he stopped!

Bob wants to see if there's anything they can do for the doctor who was drunk driving but Brian won't hear of it and says it has to be followed to the letter of the law. Bob says he can think of a dozen cases off the top of his head where that isn't the case but Kite says they owe it to the men to back their judgement.

The children's parents are proving hard to track down so a teacher from the school is coming in to be their appropriate adult. Kite bollocks both boys who aren't exactly bothered. "Do I make myself clear?" "No." shrugs the eldest one who says they did it for fun. The boys father arrives and instantly hugs the youngest and shouts at Brian that they're only kids and didn't need dragging into the station.

Dashers has only managed to get Ted into a cheap Chinese restaurant, recommending the stewed carton prunes.

At the front desk, the paperboy who Robin spoke to that morning and marked the bike for is brought in by his dad - the male half of the couple that told Yorkie they hadn't lost a bike. He gets his son to tell Dinesh that he stole the bike to do his paper round on and that's why it was postcoded to them and the father asks for someone in authority to give him a right good rollocking. At the same time, the father of the two boys is shouting at Brian for daring to discipline his boys in the same way! "If you look at my boys again, I'll have you, you wanker!" Dinesh smiles. "Inspector Kite can see you now, sir."

Bob calls Nick through to speak to a man who'd had a bit of a shunt earlier and that it had been sent through to Sun Hill to deal with. On the front desk is his 'hit and run' driver who tried to swap details with him before Nick drove off...! Nick tries to pretend he doesn't know him before he realises he's dropped a proper clanger...!