Karen Larkin

**Karen Larkin** is a police Constable in Central Police working out of Kingsgate Station. She is seen in Series 1.

## Background

At some point prior to the events of the first series, Larkin joined Central Police and was assigned to Kingsgate Station.

## Series 1

### A Disastrous Affair

Larkin is first shown alongside DC Kate Fleming during the interview of Alf Butterfield, a pensioner who has been the victim of multiple robberies. At the end of the episode she is seen interviewing him again, after his house has been broken into again and he has been assaulted.

### The Assault

She is shown interviewing Keely Pilkington, who wants to bring criminal charges against a rival of hers for calling her a "slag" on Facebook. When she is alerted to a potential break in by DS Leah Janson, she tries to avoid being sent out, claiming Crime Audit will be all over her as she is not up to date with her paperwork. This does not work, and she is forced to respond to the call at Kingsgate Canalside with new recruit PC Simon Bannerjee. She mentions how this week patrol is being told to focus on burglaries as a Control Strategy Crime, but by next week will be told to ignore them for some other focus.

Upon entering the building and confronting the burglar, she shows little interest in chasing him (unlike Bannerjee, who immediately gives chase), shouting that a risk assessment needs to be done first. When the suspect, who is high on some kind of narcotic, jumps at least three stories onto hard ground, her only remark is "thats just so many more forms to fill in".

Larkin and Bannerjee are the officers who respond to the call made by Alf Butterfield, when Ryan Pilkington and other children on the Borogrove Estate begin harassing him again. She is later forced to arrest Butterfield for assault when he loses his temper and attacks Ryan with his walking stick. When Bannerjee attempts to chase down Ryan, she tells him not too, as police guidelines state due to the dangerous nature of the estate officers should always be in pairs. When on duty guarding the crime scene where Wesley Duke was killed, she is informed by Keely Pilkington that she is dropping the charges. This irritates her, as she mentions it is a six page form to convert the already generated crime number into a non crime number.

### In the Trap

When Ryan Pilkington does not attend his interview at Kingsgate Station regarding his accusations against Alf Butterfield for assault, Butterfield seems elated that he will no longer be charged. However, not wanting to do the leg work to convert the crime number, Larkin encourages him to just accept a police caution over a jury trial, downplaying its seriousness. She is then considerably annoyed when PC Simon Bannerjee informs Butterfield that a caution will result in him getting a criminal record.

### Terror

Larkin, along with Bannerjee, responds to a call to the police made by Terry Boyle, a man with downs syndrome whose flat is being used by the crime syndicate to hide Jackie Laverty's body. Although he called regarding Ryan Pilkington and the two criminals who entered his house, he becomes confused when questioned by Bannerjee, claiming he let them in and they had crisps and fizzy drinks. Losing her patience, Larkin assumes it to be a false call, and fakes an alert on her radio in order to give them an excuse to leave, much to Bannerjee's shock. She later comes to the aid of DC Kate Fleming after she is assaulted by DC Nigel Morton outside of Kingsgate Station.

### The Probation

Larkin, once again with Bannerjee, respond to the incident in which DS Steve Arnott is rescued by DCI Anthony Gates from Ryan Pilkington and other masked men. The two later return Ryan to his mother, Keely Pilkington, with Larkin caring more about getting to the fish and chip shop than ensuring Ryan will be safe at home. She later goes on alone, with PC Simon Bannerjee electing to walk the route instead, defying police guidelines.