# The Bill series 12

The twelfth series of The Bill, a British television drama, consisted of 156 episodes, broadcast between 2 January and 31 December 1996. On 6 February 2013, The Bill Series 12 Part 1 & 2 and The Bill Series 12 Part 3 & 4 DVD sets were released (in Australia). The show aired the death of PC Cathy Marshall early in the series, actress Lynne Miller departing after seven years in a mysterious plot that saw her drown whilst chasing a suspect, but it was never confirmed if she was pushed or slipped off a riverside barge during the pursuit. The death followed that of DS Jo Morgan in a four-part special towards the end of the previous series, with the first three of the four episodes rebroadcast in the summer as part of a single special episode, Target.
There was also an exit for PC Donna Harris, as the role of collator was replaced by a computerised system. Two other characters departed, with Robert Perkins leaving his role as Sergeant Ray Steele after almost three years, with WPC June Ackland taking the role of Sergeant after six months as an Acting Sergeant. Tom Cotcher also left the role of DC Alan Woods, being replaced by WDC Liz Rawton, with actress Libby Davison joining the show permanently just four months after making a guest appearance as Briony Richards. Rawton's arrival to CID was preceded by that of DS Geoff Daly, portrayed by Ray Ashcroft, in June. WPC Jamila Blake arrived at the end of the year to replace WPC Marshall, Lolita Chakrabarti taking on the role after two guest appearances earlier in the series as Dr. Sally Vole.

## Episodes

| # | Title | Episode notes | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 1 | "Call Waiting" | Susannah Wise guest stars | John Bruce | Simon Moss | 2 January 1996 (1996-1-2) |
| Skase and Croft investigate a series of hoax phone calls that are tearing a family apart. ||||||
| 2 | "Second Sense" | Cheryl Hall guest stars | Diana Patrick | Peter Gibbs | 4 January 1996 (1996-1-4) |
| Loxton and Slater deal with a woman drink-driver. ||||||
| 3 | "Runners Up" | Tracey Childs guest stars | Nick Laughland | Robert Jones | 5 January 1996 (1996-1-5) |
| Meadows offers a bottle of scotch as a reward for catching an elusive burglar. ||||||
| 4 | "Keeping It in the Family" | Nicholas Pinnock and Lloyd McGuire guest star | Frank W. Smith | Tony Lindsay | 9 January 1996 (1996-1-9) |
| Lines and Skase try to avert an ice-cream war in Sun Hill after a vendor is assaulted. ||||||
| 5 | "Home Truths" | Danny Dyer guest stars | June Howson | Katharine Way | 11 January 1996 (1996-1-11) |
| Ackland and Jarvis follow up a vicious assault. ||||||
| 6 | "Outer" | Rhona Mitra guest stars | Nick Laughland | J. C. Wilsher | 12 January 1996 (1996-1-12) |
| Boulton is determined to arrest a local drug dealer, at any cost. ||||||
| 7 | "Better Half" | Nigel Humphreys guest stars | Catherine Morshead | Jonathan David | 16 January 1996 (1996-1-16) |
| Beech and Croft investigate the murder of a hairdresser who had been fighting for a share of her dead fiancé's estate. ||||||
| 8 | "No Assistance Required" | Neil Stuke guest stars | Robin Sheppard | Richard Stoneman | 18 January 1996 (1996-1-18) |
| Datta is called to a burglary and is subjected to the unwanted affections of a civic-minded admirer. Monroe is suspicious when Loxton tries to settle an old score. ||||||
| 9 | "Judgement Call" | Hour-long special, final appearance of WPC Cathy Marshall; Tina Hobley, Nicholas Ball and Clive Carter guest star | Martin Hutchings | Julian Spilsbury | 19 January 1996 (1996-1-19) |
| What begins as a routine night for the officers at Sun Hill ends in personal tragedy. ||||||
| 10 | "Old Dogs, New Tricks" | – | Frank W. Smith | Jonathan Myerson | 23 January 1996 (1996-1-23) |
| As Sun Hill gets to grips with its new computer system, Boyden discovers that it pays to stay one step ahead of the opposition. ||||||
| 11 | "Worst Fears: Part 1" | Clare Holman guest stars | Robin Shepperd | Richard Stoneman | 25 January 1996 (1996-1-25) |
| While Deakin investigates the kidnapping of a five-year-old boy, Conway gets some unsettling news. ||||||
| 12 | "One Night With You: Part 2" | – | Derek Lister | Chris Ould | 26 January 1996 (1996-1-26) |
| Five-year-old Tommy Laker is still missing, and Deakin discovers an evil and sinister ring which may hold the clue. ||||||
| 13 | "Someone Else's Problem" | Richard Beale guest stars | John Bruce | Renny Krupinski | 30 January 1996 (1996-1-30) |
| Datta and Quinnan look into the mysterious death of a jogger, while Ackland and Jarvis try to reconcile a couple of warring lovers. ||||||
| 14 | "Bounds of Decency" | – | Corin Campbell Hill | Avril E. Russell | 1 February 1996 (1996-2-1) |
| Slater and Garfield struggle to keep the peace when two women fall out over the same man. ||||||
| 15 | "Happy Birthday" | – | Sarah Harding | Tom Needham | 2 February 1996 (1996-2-2) |
| Meadows and Croft investigate the murder of an elderly woman, and question two young children living on the floor below who may have heard what happened. ||||||
| 16 | "Stop the Music" | Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Ayesha Antoine guest star | Sarah Harding | Margaret Ousby | 6 February 1996 (1996-2-6) |
| Croft and a badly-hungover Beech investigate when a body is found in a car with a large amount of crack cocaine. ||||||
| 17 | "Cold Light of Day" | – | Corin Campbell Hill | David G. McDonagh | 8 February 1996 (1996-2-8) |
| A reconstruction brings forward an unexpected witness to an assault on a 15-year-old boy. ||||||
| 18 | "Back in Business" | Ch. Supt. Charles Brownlow returns from Area, A/Supt. Derek Conway returns to Ch. Insp. | Laurence Moody | Peter Gibbs | 9 February 1996 (1996-2-9) |
| Acting Superintendent Conway is stirred into action by a face from the past. ||||||
| 19 | "Separate Rooms" | Camilla Power and Ewen Bremner guest star | Jan Sargent | Nick Crittenden | 13 February 1996 (1996-2-13) |
| Lines investigates an allegation of underage sex. ||||||
| 20 | "Going Guilty" | – | James Hawes | Mark Holloway | 15 February 1996 (1996-2-15) |
| Cryer and Slater follow up on a murder but a legal loophole may allow the perpetrator to get away with it. ||||||
| 21 | "Pieces of Cake" | – | Derek Lister | Maxwell Young | 16 February 1996 (1996-2-16) |
| Beech is caught in the crossfire when uniform and C.I.D. fall out over a directive from Brownlow. ||||||
| 22 | "Somebody's Home" | – | Jan Sargent | Simon Tyrrell | 20 February 1996 (1996-2-20) |
| Quinnan and Keane have to help someone with a conviction for assaulting a police officer. ||||||
| 23 | "Pointing the Finger" | Ron Donachie guest stars | Simon Meyers | Edwin Pearce | 22 February 1996 (1996-2-22) |
| Carver and Skase investigate an assault on an Asian schoolboy. ||||||
| 24 | "Boy Meets Girl" | Lloyd Owen guest stars | James Hawes | Simon Moss | 23 February 1996 (1996-2-23) |
| Croft investigates a series of vicious sexual assaults. ||||||
| 25 | "Confession" | Hour-long episode, final appearance of PC Donna Harris, guest appearance of DS Danny Pearce; David Westhead guest stars | David Richards | Terry Hodgkinson | 27 February 1996 (1996-2-27) |
| Meadows and Carver have to look again at a man cleared of murder. ||||||
| 26 | "Home From Home" | – | June Howson | Stephen McAteer | 29 February 1996 (1996-2-29) |
| Stamp and Slater are called to supervise the eviction of a father from his home. ||||||
| 27 | "Open Wound" | – | John Bruce | Tom Needham | 1 March 1996 (1996-3-1) |
| Skase and Deakin deal with a wounded crack dealer shot in the yard of a pub. ||||||
| 28 | "Perfect Match" | – | Laurence Moody | Carolyn Sally Jones | 5 March 1996 (1996-3-5) |
| Beech and Croft try to track down a violent attacker. ||||||
| 29 | "Someone Special" | Bruce Alexander guest stars | Gwennan Sage | Carolyn Sally Jones | 7 March 1996 (1996-3-7) |
| Lines and Skase investigate a possible arson attack on a nightclub. ||||||
| 30 | "Bits and Pieces" | Amanda Ryan, Lucy Benjamin and Peter Benson guest star | Simon Meyers | Terry Hodgkinson | 8 March 1996 (1996-3-8) |
| Boyden and Slater search for the owner of a severed hand found on a rubbish tip. ||||||
| 31 | "Home Help" | Angela Bruce guest stars | Michael Simpson | Peter Mills | 12 March 1996 (1996-3-12) |
| Cryer and Slater handle a tricky case involving a disabled former police officer and his wayward son. ||||||
| 32 | "Kicked Out" | – | Michael Ferguson | Stephen C. Handley | 14 March 1996 (1996-3-14) |
| Jarvis and Page are called in to help in the deportation of an illegal immigrant who escapes from custody. ||||||
| 33 | "On the Block" | Kenneth Watson guest stars | Michael Ferguson | J. C. Wilsher | 15 March 1996 (1996-3-15) |
| Boulton loses a suspect during an arrest and has to ask Monroe to help get him back. ||||||
| 34 | "Getting Off" | – | Michael Cocker | Graham Mitchell | 19 March 1996 (1996-3-19) |
| Boulton investigates a convicted drug addict and clashes with a drugs worker. ||||||
| 35 | "Girls' Night" | – | Gill Wilkinson | Gwyneth Hughes | 21 March 1996 (1996-3-21) |
| Loxton and Page deal with a bridegroom who disrupts a hen night. ||||||
| 36 | "Blood Brothers" | Roshan Seth guest stars | Jeremy Silberston | Manjit Singh | 22 March 1996 (1996-3-22) |
| Meadows tries to get the truth from a terminally-ill Asian man after one of his sons is fatally injured during a family dispute. ||||||
| 37 | "Broken Homes" | WPC June Ackland is promoted to Acting Sergeant (off screen) | Robert Del Maestro | Gregory Evans | 23 March 1996 (1996-3-23) |
| Loxton and Keane chase a local tearaway, who gets injured. Conway has to deal with the resulting accusations of police harassment. ||||||
| 38 | "A Hornet's Nest" | Melanie Kilburn guest stars | Robert Del Maestro | Candy Denman | 28 March 1996 (1996-3-28) |
| Greig is accused with police brutality following a raid on a burglar's home. ||||||
| 39 | "Dead of Night" | First appearance of June Ackland as A/Sgt; Rosie Cavaliero guest stars | Ian White | Julian Jones | 29 March 1996 (1996-3-29) |
| Quinnan's whereabouts are questioned when he fails to notice an injured woman on the station doorstep. June Ackland becomes acting Sergeant. ||||||
| 40 | "Party Pooper" | Daniel Casey guest stars | James Hawes | Isabelle Grey | 2 April 1996 (1996-4-2) |
| Slater's ability is questioned when he appears to mishandle two violent thugs at a party and his wallet, containing his warrant card, is stolen. ||||||
| 41 | "More Haste" | – | Jeremy Silberston | David Hoskins | 4 April 1996 (1996-4-4) |
| Keane has a bad day in court, while Monroe follows up on a domestic incident. ||||||
| 42 | "Beating the Odds" | Jamie Glover and Amelia Curtis guest star | Ian White | Edwin Pearce | 5 April 1996 (1996-4-5) |
| Boulton investigates a notorious local bookie and prompts suspicions about Beech's private life. ||||||
| 43 | "Animal" | Ian Reddington and Sheree Murphy guest star | Kate Cheeseman | Tom Needham | 9 April 1996 (1996-4-9) |
| Boyden and Datta try to secure a conviction against a vicious pimp. ||||||
| 44 | "Dangerous Game" | Hour-long episode, final appearance of Sgt. Ray Steele; Tracey Wilkinson guest stars | Brian Parker | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 10 April 1996 (1996-4-10) |
| Boulton, Carver and Deakin take part in a Flying Squad operation against a vicious gang of armed robbers. ||||||
| 45 | "Dancers" | Tenniel Evans guest stars | Nick Laughland | Mark Holloway | 12 April 1996 (1996-4-12) |
| Brownlow organises a tea dance for the Metropolitan Police Pensioners' and Widows' Society. ||||||
| 46 | "And Nothing But" | – | Michael Simpson | Richard Stoneman | 16 April 1996 (1996-4-16) |
| Loxton arrests a black man he suspects is responsible for a mugging and is accused of racism. ||||||
| 47 | "Tale of Two Cities" | Petra Markham guest stars | Tom Cotter | Spenser Frearson | 18 April 1996 (1996-4-18) |
| Greig is in pursuit of a local drug dealer. Two teenagers arrested for possession refuse to provide any information about their supplier. ||||||
| 48 | "Cheating" | Leslie Phillips and Carol Royle guest star | Kate Cheeseman | Spenser Frearson | 19 April 1996 (1996-4-19) |
| Quinnan and Hollis have to decide whether a pub quiz champion is breaking the rules. Skase deals with the unfaithful wife of a local villain. ||||||
| 49 | "Decent Proposals" | Clare Cathcart and Trevor Cooper guest star | Gill Wilkinson | Jonathan Myerson | 23 April 1996 (1996-4-23) |
| Loxton and Quinnan investigate an employment agency that provides lucrative opportunities to women with financial troubles. ||||||
| 50 | "Going For a Song" | Guest appearance of now-DS Mike Dashwood | Martin Hutchings | Julian Spilsbury | 25 April 1996 (1996-4-25) |
| Carver calls on a former colleague to help with an antique clock that is a target for theft. ||||||
| 51 | "Value Added" | Malcolm Terris and Geff Francis guest stars | Simon Meyers | Barry Simner | 26 April 1996 (1996-4-26) |
| Hollis goes undercover in the seedy world of vice in pursuit of the unscrupulous owner of a clip joint. ||||||
| 52 | "Professional Ethics" | John Bowler guest stars | Chris Lovett | David Hoskins | 30 April 1996 (1996-4-30) |
| Greig and Lines investigate graffiti attacks on motor vehicles and uncover a fraud. ||||||
| 53 | "Accidents Will Happen" | Paul Ritter guest stars | Tom Cotter | David G. McDonagh | 2 May 1996 (1996-5-2) |
| Boyden and Page look into a protection racket. ||||||
| 54 | "Time Spent" | – | Chris Lovett | Chris Ould | 3 May 1996 (1996-5-3) |
| Beech uncovers the relationship between a former boss and a local crime lord. Carver is caught between two troubled lovers. ||||||
| 55 | "Conspiracy of Silence" | Ann Davies guest stars | Peter Barber-Fleming | Margaret Phelan | 7 May 1996 (1996-5-7) |
| Deakin and Boulton investigate a fatal stabbing and uncover jealousy and deceit. ||||||
| 56 | "Cold Feet and Hot Coffee" | Jason Done and Stephen Churchett guest star | Gwennan Sage | Julian Perkins | 9 May 1996 (1996-5-9) |
| Loxton and Page go undercover at a wedding to prevent a jilted lover spoiling the bride's big day. ||||||
| 57 | "Rollover" | Libby Davison and Philip Wright guest star | Michael Simpson | Nick Crittenden | 10 May 1996 (1996-5-10) |
| Deakin comes down hard on a snout who tries to buck the system, and gets an unexpected result. ||||||
| 58 | "Tough Love" | John Michie guest stars | Martin Hutchings | Katharine Way | 14 May 1996 (1996-5-14) |
| Hollis and Garfield deal with an attack on a school bully. ||||||
| 59 | "With This Ring" | Roger Avon and Rowena Cooper guest star | Nick Laughland | John Brennan | 16 May 1996 (1996-5-16) |
| Keane comes across a suspect antiques dealer. Greig and Croft investigate a burglary and reopen a feud between two sisters. ||||||
| 60 | "Final Drive" | Thomas Craig and Sukie Smith guest star | Michael Ferguson | Mark Holloway | 17 May 1996 (1996-5-17) |
| Jarvis is on the Advanced Driving Course at Hendon. ||||||
| 61 | "Voices" | Sian Thomas and David Quilter guest star | Moira Armstrong | Peter J. Hammond | 21 May 1996 (1996-5-21) |
| Datta and Greig suspect that a woman who claims she can hear voices may hold the key to a series of sexual assaults. ||||||
| 62 | "Party On" | Hilary Whitehall guest stars. | Danny Hiller | Mark Illis | 23 May 1996 (1996-5-23) |
| Deakin and Croft have to deal with a gang of delinquents when one of them is bottled at an ecstasy party. ||||||
| 63 | "Hard Enough" | Elizabeth Berrington and Adrian Rawlins guest star | Dominic Lees | Lyndon Mallett | 24 May 1996 (1996-5-24) |
| Boulton and Carver clash when a householder is arrested for murdering a burglar with a baseball bat. Boulton thinks it is justified to kill an intruder, but Carver does not; will it impede their investigation? ||||||
| 64 | "Cuckoo" | Honeysuckle Weeks, Olivia Hallinan and Campbell Morrison guest star | Danny Hiller | Nicholas McInerny | 28 May 1996 (1996-5-28) |
| Page and Monroe are dragged into a family squabble. ||||||
| 65 | "Helping Hands" | Aidan J. David guest stars | Peter Duffell | Clive Dawson | 30 May 1996 (1996-5-30) |
| Datta and Garfield arrest a G.P. for possession of cannabis, but he claims it is for use by one of his patients. ||||||
| 66 | "Jekyll and Hyde" | Matthew Crompton guest stars | Danny Hiller | Edwin Pearce | 31 May 1996 (1996-5-31) |
| Brownlow witnesses a violent outburst on the road. ||||||
| 67 | "Knocking on the Door" | First appearance of DS Geoff Daly | John Bruce | Steve Handley | 4 June 1996 (1996-6-4) |
| New DS Geoff Daly steps in to help Skase when a straightforward drugs bust goes wrong. ||||||
| 68 | "Lies and Statistics" | Sean Gilder and David Quilter guest star | James Hawes | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 6 June 1996 (1996-6-6) |
| Boyden tries to help a young offender. ||||||
| 69 | "Butting In" | Barry Jackson, David Quilter and Lolita Chakrabarti guest star | Michael Simpson | Sebastian Secker Walker | 7 June 1996 (1996-6-7) |
| Jarvis steps in to help Page deal with a violent attack, but there are complications. ||||||
| 70 | "The Bagman" | – | Michael Cocker | Richard McBrien | 11 June 1996 (1996-6-11) |
| Deakin investigates a violent attack on a small-time crook whom he suspects to have fallen in with bad company. ||||||
| 71 | "Overstepping the Mark" | Kris Marshall and David Quilter guest star | John Bruce | Michael Jenner | 13 June 1996 (1996-6-13) |
| Lines tries to get a juvenile offender to inform on a gang of dangerous thugs, while Daly is troubled by a determined probation officer. ||||||
| 72 | "Filth" | – | Jo Shoop | Graham Mitchell | 20 June 1996 (1996-6-20) |
| Deakin and Boulton investigate when a pimp is discovered badly beaten in a pile of rubbish. ||||||
| 73 | "Camper" | Timothy Bateson and Avril Elgar guest star | Moira Armstrong | Terry Hodgkinson | 21 June 1996 (1996-6-21) |
| Slater and Boyden are involved in a drugs bust involving a camper van. ||||||
| 74 | "Spill" | Hour-long episode; Lolita Chakrabarti and Bob Mason guest star | John Strickland | Michael Jenner | 25 June 1996 (1996-6-25) |
| A tanker crashes, spilling a potentially lethal load near a housing estate. Monroe supervises the evacuation of the area. ||||||
| 75 | "Apron Strings" | Denyse Alexander guest stars | Adrian J. Fearnley | Len Collin | 27 June 1996 (1996-6-27) |
| Cryer and Keane discover a woman dead in her bath and suspect her son of foul play. ||||||
| 76 | "One Step Ahead" | Ken Hutchison and Roy Skelton guest star | Simon Massey | Candy Denman | 28 June 1996 (1996-6-28) |
| Meadows and Skase pursue an ex-convict who has sworn revenge on an informant. Boyden is called to help a prostitute who believes she is being followed. ||||||
| 77 | "Starting Young" | Nathan Constance guest stars | Michael Ferguson | Andrew Rattenbury | 2 July 1996 (1996-7-2) |
| Jarvis and Keane deal with a boy in possession of a pensioner's prescription. ||||||
| 78 | "Tart's Cards" | Annie Hulley guest stars | Simon Meyers | Margaret Ousby | 4 July 1996 (1996-7-4) |
| Boyden and Slater investigate a series of offensive telephone calls. ||||||
| 79 | "Born Again" | Alexandra Gilbreath and Chris Tranchell guest stars | Robin Sheppard | Simon Frith | 5 July 1996 (1996-7-5) |
| Boulton investigates an assault on an old man. ||||||
| 80 | "Kick Me Hard" | – | Audrey Cooke | Gregory Evans | 9 July 1996 (1996-7-9) |
| Daly mounts an operation to catch muggers. Page goes undercover as a pregnant woman to act as bait. ||||||
| 81 | "All or Nothing" | – | Adrian J. Fearnley | Philip Kingston | 11 July 1996 (1996-7-11) |
| Quinnan and Keane discover the body of a young girl in a pub toilet. Meanwhile, Monroe and Stamp both have words with Slater about his extensive overtime. ||||||
| 82 | "Unlucky in Love" | Anna Keaveney and Joanne Froggatt guest star | Jo Shoop | Jonathan Rich | 12 July 1996 (1996-7-12) |
| Boyden investigates a dating agency that is rumoured to be providing underage girls. ||||||
| 83 | "A Quick Return" | – | Brian Parker | Stephen McAteer | 16 July 1996 (1996-7-16) |
| Cryer and Keane investigate a series of street robberies and find four teenagers trying to buy their way into drug-dealing. ||||||
| 84 | "Sartorial Elegance" | Joseph Kpobie guest stars | Simon Massey | Nigel Baldwin | 18 July 1996 (1996-7-18) |
| Carver and Jarvis misjudge the condition of a witness, threatening Operation Eagle Eye. ||||||
| 85 | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | Albert Welling and Margo Gunn guest star | Ian White | Graham White | 19 July 1996 (1996-7-19) |
| Loxton and Keane follow up a mugging but suspect that the victim knows more than she is letting on. ||||||
| 86 | "Big Bullies" | Jim McManus guest stars | Michael Simpson | Ron Rose | 23 July 1996 (1996-7-23) |
| Monroe investigates a schoolboy's claim that he was assaulted by his teacher. ||||||
| 87 | "Playing It by the Rules" | – | Chris Lovett | Sheila Duncan | 25 July 1996 (1996-7-25) |
| Deakin is handed the chance to bust a drug dealer when his wife turns informant. ||||||
| 88 | "True Colours" | – | Brian Parker | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 26 July 1996 (1996-7-26) |
| Daly is determined to find out why a white teenager is trying to take the blame for his black friends. ||||||
| 89 | "Target" | Feature length rebroadcast of the episodes "Fire", "All Tucked Up" and "Bait" from Series 11 | John Strickland | Edward Canford-Dumas | 29 July 1996 (1996-7-29) |
| While speaking to Ackland and Loxton about the problem of local dog mess, a woman is shot dead by a sniper. Meadows and his CID team are tasked to investigate, and suspect that the woman was not the intended target, and it is strongly possible the sniper was after Loxton, who is set to testify in court against an attempted murderer that afternoon. However, when Ackland's house is set alight that night, CID come to the conclusion that she is the intended target. Writing up a list of possible suspects, Ackland gets sucked into a deadly cat-and-mouse game to try to draw the killer out – resulting in the death of one of Sun Hill's best officers. ||||||
| 90 | "Dead Man's Hand" | Jamie Foreman guest stars | Dominic Lees | Simon Tyrrell | 30 July 1996 (1996-7-30) |
| Beech investigates the claim of one compulsive gambler to have murdered another. ||||||
| 91 | "For Their Own Good" | Final appearance of DC Alan Woods; Lynn Farleigh and Billy McColl guest star | Peter Duffell | Nigel Baldwin | 1 August 1996 (1996-8-1) |
| Boulton uses an informant as the bait to catch a dangerous villain. ||||||
| 92 | "Theory and Practice" | Kacey Ainsworth guest stars | Peter Barber-Fleming | Maxwell Young | 6 August 1996 (1996-8-6) |
| Ackland and McCann take the sergeant's exam. Cryer deals with a woman who is miscarrying and claims that she was assaulted by Page. ||||||
| 93 | "Drinking Partners" | Tony Marshall guest stars | Peter Lydon | Matthew Wingett | 8 August 1996 (1996-8-8) |
| Greig and Skase investigate when a drunk man is found unconscious and badly injured at the bottom of a flight of stairs. ||||||
| 94 | "Lean on Me" | Madeleine Howard guest stars | Simon Meyers | Barry Simner | 9 August 1996 (1996-8-9) |
| Hollis gets ideas above his station when Barbara, a local tom with whom he has become friendly, tries to become his informant. Although Barbara claims that known fraudster David Gough is back out on the patch, Hollis struggles to convince Deakin and Meadows. ||||||
| 95 | "Reminders" | Vas Blackwood, Laurie Brett and Ricci Harnett guest star | Chris Lovett | Michael Jenner | 13 August 1996 (1996-8-13) |
| Hours after his release from prison, Dael Abbott is hauled back into custody by Daly and Carver following a stabbing. Daly pressures Emma Gilmore, the girlfriend of Abbott's associate, Michael Ceely, into giving evidence. ||||||
| 96 | "Minding" | Charlotte Barker guest stars | Nick Laughland | Mark Holloway | 15 August 1996 (1996-8-15) |
| Loxton and Keane arrest a woman for shoplifting, and later bail her from custody when she openly admits to the charge. But when she is discovered to have given a false identity, Greig and Croft link the incident to a nanny believed to have kidnapped two of her charges. ||||||
| 97 | "Follow the Van" | Donald Douglas guest stars | Robin Sheppard | Stephen Plaice | 16 August 1996 (1996-8-16) |
| A robbery on a garage forecourt leads Beech and Lines to the door of convicted robber Ricky Baines, but Baines' innocence is seemingly confirmed when a second robbery takes place whilst he is being interviewed – but Beech remains determined not to let him off the hook. ||||||
| 98 | "Don't Kill the Messenger" | – | Jim Shields | Isabelle Grey | 20 August 1996 (1996-8-20) |
| Jarvis and Cryer attend the coroner's hearing following a death in custody, but when both are exonerated and cleared of any wrongdoing, the victim's son sends Jarvis a death threat and slashes his tyres after refusing to believe that his father was a sex offender. ||||||
| 99 | "Junior" | Trevor Byfield and Elizabeth McKechnie guest star | Jim Shields | Julian Perkins | 22 August 1996 (1996-8-22) |
| When fifteen-year-old Mickey Hoyle is arresting for joyriding, Beech employs him as a snout to expose a crooked car ring run by the Hislop brothers, Wayne and Paul. DS Frank Thomas from Scotland Yard assists Beech and a less than impressed Lines with the investigation. ||||||
| 100 | "Pony Express" | Andy Linden and Ade Sapara guest star | Simon Meyers | David G. McDonagh | 23 August 1996 (1996-8-23) |
| Deakin has to decide whether to trust a Nigerian drug smuggler who offers to help catch a local dealer. ||||||
| 101 | "Out of Control" | David Hargreaves and Lucy Speed guest star | Ian White | Edwin Pearce | 27 August 1996 (1996-8-27) |
| Jarvis deals with a young tearaway and tries to persuade the boy's father to take responsibility for his son's actions. ||||||
| 102 | "Day Tripper" | – | Gill Wilkinson | Chris Smyth | 29 August 1996 (1996-8-29) |
| Greig hopes that a tip-off will help him to nail an old enemy but things don't go to plan. ||||||
| 103 | "Waiting For Frank" | Jonathan Phillips guest stars | Robert Del Maestro | Chris Ould | 30 August 1996 (1996-8-30) |
| Deakin poses as a nervous punter waiting at the dog track to meet a mysterious man named Frank. ||||||
| 104 | "A Day in the Life" | Kulvinder Ghir, Jack Deam and Maxine Evans guest star | Audrey Cooke | Robert Jones | 3 September 1996 (1996-9-3) |
| Keane is held hostage by a desperate armed robber. ||||||
| 105 | "Second Chances" | Paul Bhattacharjee guest stars | Nick Laughland | Manjit Singh | 5 September 1996 (1996-9-5) |
| Deakin gets a vital lead on an unsolved murder, but his witness is an illegal immigrant who is about to be deported. ||||||
| 106 | "Repossession" | Gerry Cowper, Jan Pearson and Lorcan Cranitch guest star | Peter Lydon | Lyndon Mallet | 6 September 1996 (1996-9-6) |
| A petrol can, a lighter and a desperate man threatening to burn down a house. Can Conway talk him round? ||||||
| 107 | "Liar" | First appearance of DC Liz Rawton; Elizabeth Bennett guest stars | Michael Simpson | Spenser Frearson | 10 September 1996 (1996-9-10) |
| Rawton gets involved in a dispute between a drug addict and Croft, who is trying to find a witness who can testify that she was assaulted. ||||||
| 108 | "Detained" | Scott Neal and Sara Stockbridge guest star | Ken Horn | Jimmy Gardner | 12 September 1996 (1996-9-12) |
| Garfield and McCann investigate a vicious mugging. ||||||
| 109 | "Karma" | Jim Norton guest stars | Brian Parker | Edward Canford-Dumas | 13 September 1996 (1996-9-13) |
| Deakin and Boulton are called into a women's prison to investigate claims by an officer that an inmate was pushed down a flight of stairs by the prison psychiatrist. ||||||
| 110 | "Stolen Moments" | Judy Flynn guest stars | Audrey Cooke | Julian Perkins | 17 September 1996 (1996-9-17) |
| McCann and Slater arrest a woman for petty theft, and she claims to have killed a cyclist while driving two years before. ||||||
| 111 | "A Good Night Out" | Hour-long episode, A/Sgt June Ackland becomes full-time Sgt.; Martin Glyn Murray and Oliver Smith guest star | Tom Cotter | Richard Stoneman | 18 September 1996 (1996-9-18) |
| The relief organise a pub-and-curry night to celebrate Acting Sgt. Ackland's success in the sergeant's exam, but McCann is not so eager to join in the celebrations. ||||||
| 112 | "Chatterbox" | Adrian Bower and Desmond Askew guest star | Ian White | Simon Moss | 19 September 1996 (1996-9-19) |
| Quinnan and a teenage burglary suspect are trapped in a broken lift in a housing estate. ||||||
| 113 | "Too Close For Comfort" | Steve John Shepherd and Lorraine Ashbourne guest star | Robin Sheppard | Maxwell Young | 20 September 1996 (1996-9-20) |
| Page and Daly take opposing views in a case of alleged rape involving two cousins. ||||||
| 114 | "Blame" | Gerry Cowper guest stars | Chris Lovett | Gwyneth Hughes | 24 September 1996 (1996-9-24) |
| Garfield and Datta deal with a family that is torn apart when the mother commits suicide by overdose of sleeping tablets ||||||
| 115 | "Once a Thief" | – | Robert Del Maestro | Tony Mulholland | 26 September 1996 (1996-9-26) |
| Beech gets a result when a barrister on his blacklist is robbed. ||||||
| 116 | "Party Animals" | Jake Wood guest stars | Moira Armstrong | Katharine Way | 27 September 1996 (1996-9-27) |
| Quinnan and Datta are called to a stag party where the strippergram accuses the guests of trying to gang-rape her. ||||||
| 117 | "Natural Causes" | Colin Buchanan guest stars | Morag Fullarton | Simon Tyrrell | 1 October 1996 (1996-10-1) |
| Slater and Ackland try to establish whether a pensioner who died on confronting a thief was murdered or died of natural causes. ||||||
| 118 | "Known To Someone" | JoAnne Good, Luisa Bradshaw-White and Gerry Cowper guest star | Derek Lister | Joanne Maguire | 3 October 1996 (1996-10-3) |
| Daly and Croft obtain information from a conflicted young man who suspects his brother of a series of violent attacks on women. ||||||
| 119 | "Champing at the Bit" | Hermione Gulliford guest stars | Diana Patrick | Robert Jones | 4 October 1996 (1996-10-4) |
| Jarvis and McCann attend the scene of an accident involving a woman driving a horsebox, who tests positive in a breath test. Deakin is after a violent attacker. ||||||
| 120 | "Taking Out the Rubbish" | Joel Beckett guest stars | Ken Horn | A. Valentine | 8 October 1996 (1996-10-8) |
| Carver and Greig investigate a burglary but the residents on the estate are too scared to give evidence. Monroe determines to clear out all the known troublemakers. ||||||
| 121 | "Presumed Innocent" | Michael McKell and Roger Blake guest star | Harry Bradbeer | Elizabeth-Anne Wheal | 10 October 1996 (1996-10-10) |
| Cryer and Keane uncover the murky past of a teenage girl who has been killed in a road accident. ||||||
| 122 | "Change of Heart" | – | Gill Wilkinson | Graham Mitchell | 11 October 1996 (1996-10-11) |
| Meadows and Rawton try to persuade the girlfriend of a rape suspect to help in his arrest. ||||||
| 123 | "Hedging Your Bets" | Peter Jeffrey, Hilary Mason and Barbara Young guest star | Roger Gartland | Candy Denman | 15 October 1996 (1996-10-15) |
| Tensions arise between Deakin and Beech after a bookie is robbed. ||||||
| 124 | "Out of the Past" | Sam Callis guest stars | Robin Sheppard | Tony Lindsay | 17 October 1996 (1996-10-17) |
| Meadows has to decide where his loyalties lie when an old friend is accused of murder. ||||||
| 125 | "Road to Recovery" | – | Jo Shoop | Len Collin | 18 October 1996 (1996-10-18) |
| Hollis is concerned about a patient who has recently been discharged from psychiatric care, and clashes with social services. ||||||
| 126 | "Three Fools" | Johanna Hargreaves guest stars | Moira Armstrong | Mark Illis | 22 October 1996 (1996-10-22) |
| Greig and Skase investigate when three small-time villains are beaten up over their involvement in a counterfeit money-laundering operation. ||||||
| 127 | "Track Marks" | – | Harry Bradbeer | James Stevenson | 24 October 1996 (1996-10-24) |
| Carver disapproves of Boulton's ruthless handling of an informant. ||||||
| 128 | "In for the Kill" | – | Derek Lister | Tom Needham | 25 October 1996 (1996-10-25) |
| Meadows and Croft interview a young waiter accused of trying to kill his boss. ||||||
| 129 | "Remote Control" | – | Steve Shill | Julian Spilsbury | 29 October 1996 (1996-10-29) |
| Daly and Lines investigate a series of muggings at knifepoint. ||||||
| 130 | "Telling Tales" | Derek Newark Kate Williams and Malcolm Tierney guest star | Jo Shoop | Renny Krupinski | 31 October 1996 (1996-10-31) |
| Quinnan tries to persuade an assault victim to testify against her former boyfriend. Boulton and Skase are led on a wild goose chase. ||||||
| 131 | "Old Codgers" | Freddie Jones and Patrick Godfrey guest star | Martin Hutchings | Chris Ould | 1 November 1996 (1996-11-1) |
| Quinnan and Greig reluctantly agree to follow up on information received from a former Sun Hill sergeant who claims to know the whereabouts of the man who murdered a girl during World War II. ||||||
| 132 | "Trap" | – | Christopher Hodson | Michael Jenner | 5 November 1996 (1996-11-5) |
| Slater gets into trouble after following up on a tip-off about a till snatch. ||||||
| 133 | "All in the Mind" | Cathy Shipton guest stars | Diana Patrick | Edwin Pearce | 7 November 1996 (1996-11-7) |
| Monroe and Ackland suspect that a series of apparently unrelated incidents across Sun Hill may be linked to the release of a psychiatric patient trying to find her children. ||||||
| 134 | "Trust Me" | Paul Greenwood and Catherine Cusack guest star | Roger Gartland | Isabelle Grey | 8 November 1996 (1996-11-8) |
| Carver and Rawton follow up an irregularity on an insurance claim submitted by a decorator and uncover a double life. ||||||
| 135 | "Nice Boy" | Nadim Sawalha guest stars | Brian Parker | Scott Cherry | 12 November 1996 (1996-11-12) |
| Croft and Boulton disagree on how to question a teenager who might be able to lead them to a violent gang. ||||||
| 136 | "A Woman's Place" | – | James Hawes | Simon Moss | 14 November 1996 (1996-11-14) |
| Ackland introduces single-manning at Sun Hill, causing problems for Brownlow. ||||||
| 137 | "Finishing School" | – | Michael Cocker | Barry Simner | 15 November 1996 (1996-11-15) |
| Slater and Keane reach the end of their probationary periods and face a final assessment. ||||||
| 138 | "Death of a Nobody" | Hour-long episode; Peter Guinness and Philip McGough guest star | Simon Meyers | Tom Needham | 19 November 1996 (1996-11-19) |
| Meadows and Deakin investigate the murder of a taxi driver. The action bears the hallmarks of a gangland execution, but why would anyone want to kill a complete nobody? ||||||
| 139 | "Up the Wall" | – | Steve Shill | Lyndon Mallett | 21 November 1996 (1996-11-21) |
| Hollis learns an important lesson in community policing when some friendly advice that he gives a resident on noise pollution backfires. ||||||
| 140 | "Boiling Point" | Kenneth Colley guest stars | Christopher Hodson | Neil Clarke | 22 November 1996 (1996-11-22) |
| Loxton is investigated by the Complaints Investigation Bureau over an accusation that he assaulted a suspected burglar, although he claims to have been acting in self-defence. ||||||
| 141 | "Mirror Image" | – | John Bruce | Katharine Way | 26 November 1996 (1996-11-26) |
| Boulton arrests a woman for drug dealing, but Rawton suspects that she may be a victim of mistaken identity. ||||||
| 142 | "Public Relations" | – | Brian Parker | Philip Kingston | 28 November 1996 (1996-11-28) |
| Skase and Hollis demonstrate two differing approaches to police work when a young journalist writing about policing spends a day at Sun Hill. ||||||
| 143 | "Lock 'Em In" | Jeremy Bulloch guest stars | Roger Gartland | Sebastian Secker Walker | 29 November 1996 (1996-11-29) |
| Cryer and Page assist the distraught wife of a prisoner who reports her son missing and who fears that her husband is out to get her. ||||||
| 144 | "Opportunity Costs" | – | Martin Hutchings | Edward Canford-Dumas | 3 December 1996 (1996-12-3) |
| Brownlow orders Meadows and Conway to review their budgets, but Meadows decides to investigate the unsolved murder of a prostitute instead. ||||||
| 145 | "Paying For It" | – | Jane Prowse | Mark Holloway | 5 December 1996 (1996-12-5) |
| Beech and Rawton investigate the apparent assault of a father by his son and uncover a family secret. ||||||
| 146 | "Many Happy Returns" | Paul Jerricho guest stars | Adrian J. Fearnley | Andrew Rattenbury | 6 December 1996 (1996-12-6) |
| Boulton and Skase take part in a joint exercise with Customs and Excise to crack a fencing operation. Meadows is concerned that Sun Hill might end up footing the bill but not getting a result. ||||||
| 147 | "Black Money" | Dominic Guard and Danny Webb guest star | Roger Gartland | Terry Hodgkinson | 10 December 1996 (1996-12-10) |
| Croft and Rawton investigate some shady Romanian businessmen and a suitcase full of black paper. ||||||
| 148 | "Scorned" | Brian Protheroe, Jane Slavin and Geraldine Fitzgerald guest star | Morag Fullarton | Tracey Black | 12 December 1996 (1996-12-12) |
| Croft and Rawton investigate a dentist accused of indecent assault by one of his patients. ||||||
| 149 | "Stolen Kisses" | Samantha Seager and Jo Martin guest star | Michael Cocker | Manjit Singh | 13 December 1996 (1996-12-13) |
| Monroe, Datta and Loxton talk down a nursery cleaner when she holds a 3-year-old girl hostage, then investigate the woman's claims she is the girl's biological mother. ||||||
| 150 | "Jumping to Conclusions" | – | Harry Bradbeer | Philip Kingston | 17 December 1996 (1996-12-17) |
| Carver's patience is tested by a compulsive liar. Ackland and Quinnan search for a girl allegedly abducted by a religious cult. ||||||
| 151 | "Toe the Line" | Michael Attwell, Michelle Gomez, Joe Absolom and David Schofield guest star | James Hawes | Stephen Plaice | 19 December 1996 (1996-12-19) |
| Monroe and Conway uncover a bogus wheel-clamping operation. ||||||
| 152 | "A Gun to the Head" | John Fraser and Rob Edwards guest star | Chris Lovett | Maxwell Young | 20 December 1996 (1996-12-20) |
| Beech and Daly are put in an impossible situation when a judge decides to reveal the name of their informant. ||||||
| 153 | "Merrily on High" | New opening sequence introduced; Danny Dyer and Frank Mills guest star | Michael Cocker | Robert Jones | 24 December 1996 (1996-12-24) |
| It is almost Christmas, and Assistant Commissioner Hicks has declared Sun Hill Police Station an alcohol-free zone – terrible news for Brownlow and Conway who had hoped to enjoy a "liquid lunch" when taking him to a posh French restaurant. Stamp and Slater arrest an elderly man after a road rage incident, but manage to reunite him with his estranged family. ||||||
| 154 | "Hers" | Tamzin Outhwaite guest stars | Michael Cocker | Mark Holloway | 26 December 1996 (1996-12-26) |
| Stamp and Page look into the theft of a hearse containing the coffin of a thief who died in a traffic accident. ||||||
| 155 | "Hat Trick" | Eric Mason guest stars | John Bruce | Stephen Greenhorn | 27 December 1996 (1996-12-27) |
| Boulton and Skase investigate a car-ramming incident involving a member of a local pub team. ||||||
| 156 | "The Right Thing" | First appearance of PC Jamila Blake; Paul Bettany and Ken Bones guest star | Nigel Douglas | Tony Mulholland | 31 December 1996 (1996-12-31) |
| New WPC Jamila Blake joins Sun Hill after three years away from the job. She pairs with Stamp, and they find an overdosed boy during a foot pursuit, and Cryer takes an interest when he discovers the victim is on the basketball same team as a former Sun Hill officer’s son. ||||||