This police drama follows the activities in and around Sun Hill, a police station located in the fictional East London borough of Canley. The focus is not just the gritty reality of police work, however; the lives and loves of the officers who staff the precinct get equal play.
Brownlow gets grief about a tree damaging the roof of his holiday home, and more grief for Garfield's failure to salute DAC Hicks as a senior officer.
A service station is robbed - Loxton and Hollis give chase in the Area Car, with dramatic consequences.
WPC Marshall is viscously attacked in the street in broad daylight by two young men she was tying to arrest. But can her attackers be found?
Loxton and Garfield are in trouble at court, when their witness statements of a knife-wielding man they arrested in a pub altercation seem to contradict each other.
Veronique, a 14-year-old girl, has gone missing. Quinnan and Ackland visit her parents to try to find out exactly what's happened - and Quinnan finds out maybe more than he'd bargained for.
Ted Roach isn't too convinced when a serial fraudster fails to turn up for a court hearing yet again. Meanwhile, Tosh is on the trail of some bent photocopiers from a stolen shipment.
PC Young isn't best impressed when Loxton and Quinnan play a practical joke on him while on his beat. Meanwhile, Carver investigates some violent burglaries on elderly residents' homes.
Sgt Maitland is on the warpath, and determined to knock the relief into shape. But, could his humourless and over-zealous attitude end up backfiring on him?
A man is arrested after he's seen appearing to attack a female patient who has absconded from hospital. He claims he was playing 'Good Samaritan' - but Burnside isn't convinced.
Brownlow's attempts to smooth things over on the crime-ridden Jasmine Allen estate - by consulting with community leaders back at the nick - comes unstuck.
Tom Penny is back - now working as a security officer at a car parts' factory - where staff appear to be pilfering. But is it a matter that warrants serious police investigation?
Tom Penny is back - now working as a security officer at a car parts' factory - where staff appear to be pilfering. But is it a matter that warrants serious police investigation.
Following a burglary at a scrapyard, suspicion falls on the security company who were keeping an eye on the place - and who are run by an ex-copper friend of Roach's, Kemble.
DS Greig thinks he has all the physical evidence he needs to nail his suspect - but his day in chambers threatens to leave him frustrated.
Roach isn't impressed when old enemy Hopwood, who's now working in security, shows up at Sun Hill - and Burnside teams them both up on Hopwood's operation.
Dave and Cathy find trouble at a children's home for girls. There's a suicide... and more.
Sun Hill are trying to help a brave doctor who is being lured to the dangerous Blackfield Estate - then attacked and robbed by drug addicts.
A violent criminal has escaped from prison bent on revenge - and Dashwood is a target.
Burnside doesn't seem too impressed with Lines and Martella's slightly scientific approach to catching a child-molester who's been stalking local playgrounds.
Ackland is baffled as to why the CPS has decided not to proceed with ABH charges against the man who assaulted her in the fracas at the Jasmine Allen.
Datta and Garfield are on an obbo (from a neighbouring flat) on the rear of a pub where drug dealing is suspected, and gathering photographic evidence.
A man working at a building site dies after accidentally falling from scaffolding - but DCI Reid suspects that it might not be an accident after all.
WPC French has to face some harsh realities when she answers a call about a disturbance at a flat, and finds a young mother inside in distress.
In the aftermath of an audacious ram-raid on a security van on a busy public road CID need to work fast and maybe bend a rule or two to get a result.
Carver and Roach get more than they bargained for during an obbo on a house. Meanwhile, Martella tries to be a bit too clever in court in her efforts to see a criminal put away.
Quinnan and Stamp are in trouble when, under pressure at the aftermath of a hit-and-run, they make the snap decision to transport the injured victim to hospital themselves.
A tense siege situation emerges after different lines of investigation lead to a knife-wielding and drug-addicted young man holed up in a flat with a child hostage.
The siege-situation at the flat continues, while WPC June Ackland attempts to reason with the attacker, but Brownlow and Conway are looking for a swift result.
DCI Reid is skeptical that Lines is pulling his weight - but when he gets close to busting a luxury-car stealing ring, could it be that she is going to be taken for a ride?
Cryer pushes for an old lady to be rehoused, following her continual harassment from youths on a sink-estate. Meanwhile, who will step up to become the new Duty Sergeant?
The Serious Crime Squad are at Sun Hill investigating the recent murder of a supergrass whilst under supposed police protection. Could Burnside be the one left out hanging to dry?
DCI Reid asserts her authority as the squad go on the trail of a notorious gang leader. But will Burnside and Roach put their personal disputes aside and fall back into line?
A violent criminal resists arrest, stabbing Sgt Peters and going on the run. Without his radio or back-up, will a pursuing PC Stringer be able to bring the attacker to justice?
Martella's secret affair becomes Sun Hill knowledge when her boyfriend is put in the frame for fencing stolen goods, compromising her position within CID.
A burglar posing as a delivery man is attacking women in their homes, and needs to be caught. Can Tosh be the one to deliver justice?
A man who'd apparently drowned himself 5 years' ago, just before he was about to stand trial, is seen by Tosh on a bus in Sun Hill. Can he really be back from the dead?
It's a tense night in Sun Hill as two burglaries - one a major theft at a cash and carry, the other a lesser one at a bric-a-brac shop, occur.
When a prostitute who's been raped goes to Sun Hill to report the crime, she's faced with a less-than helpful reception.
Ackland decides to press ahead with a private prosecution against the man who assaulted her, despite being urged to do otherwise. Will Brownlow finally get her to see sense?
As Sun Hill CID joins forces with the Flying Squad for a night-time obbo, things don't go quite as planned. DCI Reid isn't happy either about Burnside keeping her in the dark.
When Carver and Lines see a car being driven into a scrapyard, they are surprised to discover it belongs to the respected manager of a local young offenders' centre.
WPC Ackland's assault hearing against Everton Warwick comes to court - and she's not expecting an easy ride. Will justice be seen to be done or will there be yet another stitch-up?
Alec Peters is back at Sun Hill. Ackland is alerted to an incident in the park, where two youths appear to be high from glue-sniffing - or could it be something more serious?
Dashwood is in trouble when one of his snouts makes a corruption allegation against him - but whose word will the corruption investigation officers believe?
Following a tip-off, Tosh and Carver bust members of a gospel/rap group backstage after a pub gig. But are things really how they appear to be?
When Loxton gets caught up in a burglary at a nightclub, some excessive force is used before back-up arrives resulting in Loxton and one of the suspects hospitalised.
Carver and Dashwood find a young woman unconscious in a squat, re-opening links to Dashwood's recent past as he desperately wants to track down the dealers responsible.
A lorry driver has had his valuable load stolen at gunpoint by hijackers posing as traffic police. Burnside isn't entirely convinced by the driver's story.
When the CPS and an incompetent brief appear to let two violent burglars off the hook at a court hearing, Carver is disillusioned.
A series of robberies around a sink-estate point to the culprit being responsible for a recent murder there too. When a victim comes forward it seems there might be a good chance of a result
Carver's normally-reliable snout has fed him some duff information. Meanwhile, a young woman with a baby is nicked for using a stolen credit card - are these incidents are linked?
Sun Hill officers find that the householder who called them has attacked the burglar. But is everything quite how it first appears? Not everyone is so sure.
A man from the Asian community is viscously stabbed and left in his car on waste ground. Meanwhile, Hollis and Stamp make the grisly discovery of several skeletons in an empty flat
Following a spate of street robberies by youths, Carver and Lines feel they have a lead on a couple of suspects who have the right MO.
Hollis and a shop assistant are taken hostage by a bank robber. Reg's negotiating skills are put to the test - but will they be enough to get them out of trouble?
Carver's snout has info about a robbery at a jeweller's, and pushes him in the direction of a petty-criminal who appears to be the perpetrator. But it all seems a bit too easy.
Burnside has got a difficult rape case to court. But things go badly wrong when Martella's briefcase - containing vital evidence - is stolen from her car
Loxton arrests a young boy who has committed a street robbery, but seems scared and reluctant to talk.
An estranged father appears to have abducted his two children. Can he and the children be found safe and sound in time, leaving Cathy free of any blame that may be coming her way?
Martella drives to a car fire to find a lady was trapped in the car.
Marshall is acting sergeant and watches one of the relief drive away in an unmarked police car without wearing his tunic. She tries to sort out a problem without backup.
Sun Hill officers attend a break-in at an animal-testing research centre, a member of staff is found bludgeoned on the floor. The prisoner is determined to outwit Burnside
A man's car is being continually vandalised, and Smollett is reminded of a fatal hit-and-run case he was involved in investigating. Could it be the victim's family wanting revenge?
Ted Roach investigates the aftermath of a prostitute who was assaulted and thrown out of a moving car. His enquiries lead him not only to a barrister, but also a judge.
Sun Hill is involved in an incident at a pawn shop.
Three cars race to the scene of an armed robbery - only to discover it's a hoax call, and for Quinnan to land an assault complaint.
CID investigate a burglary of an OAP, who has an asthma attack. Stamp talks to a lady who turned away a man supposedly from the Gas Board.
PC Stringer chases a girl on foot who has stolen goods from a jewellers but PC Stamp arrests her because he is in a car.
Stamp arrives at his shift in a foul mood and takes it out on colleagues and the public. Meanwhile, Brownlow awaits the arrival of important guests for a crime support meeting.
Burnside is not exactly sympathetic when a victim of domestic violence withdraws her complaint. Meanwhile, DS Meadows is conducting an inspection of the station.
Brownlow comes back from a conference and wants to start an anti-stress programme. A boy is stabbed and Young and Marshall investigate.
The relief are acting as reserve troops for a demonstration. At a meal break, Delia, Norika and June find a distressed probationer in the toilet.
A shop assistant is attacked and robbed of the week's takings by thieves on a motorcycle.
Sgt Cryer investigates when anonymous letters expose PC Stringer's affair, in police time, with a prisoner's wife. Meanwhile, Conway is frustrated at a lack of promotion.
When a small-time crook is brought in with some stolen video recorders, he comes out with some unlikely-sounding information.
Meadows leads the investigation into the murder of Greig's informant.
A yob arrested for shoplifting turns out to be a respectable police officer. DI Burnside unravels the story of the change of behaviour.
Garfield hosts a birthday party he can't really afford, while Quinnan winds up Carver once too often.
Hollis, a missing handbag and a recluse police pensioner, all help to unravel a murder investigation.
Ch.Supt Brownlow is questioned by Yorkshire Police about his involvement in a murder enquiry seventeen years before that led to a wrongful conviction.
Meadows and Burnside investigate the murder of a young man - nicknamed 'Hedgehog' - outside a nightclub.
A suspected violent break-in begins to suggest more clues about the house occupants than anything else - especially as they are missing.
PC Young reaches out to WPC Datta who rejects his advances.
A major operation takes place to catch people with unpaid fines.
PC Young discovers a suicide, and is deeply affected. Later, he visits Datta in the section house and attacks her.
Two boys are reported missing by their parents after not returning from the shops.
Cryer and Conway attend a seminar at the Metropolitan Police Training Camp concerning Armed Response Vehicles.
A drunk man stuck up in a tree causes a public disturbance. Meanwhile, troubled PC Young goes missing on his beat and doesn't respond to his radio - his colleagues try to find him.
After a series of assaults on local prostitutes, Burnside and Martella make enquiries. Evidence starts to point to an escaped criminal who is at large, Hawkins.
Sgt. Boyden arrives for his first day at Sun Hill, and is clearly carrying some baggage from his previous posting.
PC Smollett and Sgt Cryer each rediscover that there is more to policing than just their desk-bound assignments.
Smollett, as the new Home Beat Officer, introduces himself to the community. Meanwhile, a boy is found unconscious with gaming machine tokens in his pocket.
A girl goes missing after she leaves the pub.
Datta appears in court and gets a hard time from the defence brief. Stringer is assaulted in a car park.
A Turkish woman is found dead by two bailiffs who broke into her flat and found water running down the stairs.
Loxton and Stringer attend a domestic where the husband is one of their own.
A stake-out fails to catch the crooks, and speculation starts about an inside informer.
June talks to a woman at the hospital who appears to be being battered, but is instead dealing with a schizophrenic son. Stamp and Quinnan are caught giving an unauthorized lift.
Carver regrets doing Roach a favour by interviewing a suspect - who later turns out to be underage. Meanwhile, Burnside arrests a career criminal with a dodgy car.
Marshall and Stamp try to find a missing homeless person. Meanwhile, Ackland and Garfield attend a punch-up at a pub and uncover a stash of police uniforms.
A dog finds a buried body. Reid considers her staffing options.
The pressure is on from on-high to increase the number of arrests. Meanwhile, a baby goes missing with her babysitter - and Reg is busy organizing a disco.
PC Quinnan works undercover on a building site to investigate the theft of kitchen units, but finds himself in a compromising situation.
The Sun Hill officers' hope of a peaceful New Year's Eve is shattered when a dangerous criminal escapes from custody. DC "Yorkie" Smith returns to Sun Hill.