It's early morning, and Mel hasn't even left for work yet. Finding slimy DS Wakefield at the door of her new flat, with flatmate Rosie in tow, is not a great start to the day. Relocated to a rural nick out at Shepley, Wakefield has arrested Rosie for possession with intent to supply.

Wakefield searches Mel's bedroom, and is delighted to find a small amount of dope. He leaves without making it clear what he'll do, leaving Mel facing possible dismissal from the Force.

Natalie, on the other hand, is after promotion. She's pushing herself to pass her sergeant's exams but is anxious about the Skillet inquiry. If she doesn't come out of it well, her career will also be on the line. The result is due by the end of the shift and self-obsessed Nat can think of little else, even when Giffin is called away by his mother's death, appointing Nat as acting sergeant. She can't afford any fuck-ups.

The first crisis quickly erupts down in custody, where the excitable Dean over-rea

Dean Wishaw's behaviour has been increasingly belligerent, so Giffen places him under Roy's wing - 'puppy walker to Scoobie Doo'. First up is a search for bail-jumper Leo Crolla:

Dean: I've got it in for this lad - he's been taking the piss.... Roy: You take everything personal don't you? What's the matter with you?

Crolla gets away ('Don't worry, this estate's his fuckin' universe'), but instead they find a 13 year old smack addict, Debbie Sharpe, and take her home to her mother's. Roy invites Dean to his house for refs (meal break), where Dean sees photos of him in his army uniform. Roy reminisces about his army career and his early days in the force: 'The miner's strike... all the overtime you could handle. That's when the job started to change though - became a bloody profession. Never been the same since.'

Crolla has been spotted in a pub. When Roy and Dean arrest him, Dean spots someone he hasn't seen for a long time. This seems to de-stabilise Dean, who ove

Danny Rylands, who's been off work since his beating at the Skillet wake, is interviewed by a psychiatrist. He must convince her that he's ready to return to work, but his feigned nonchalance makes him seem obstructive. Quizzed about recent traumatic events - especially the death of the child, Lyndsay Wilcox - the cracks show: 'I felt responsible.. I should've got there sooner... I am guilty.' The psychiatrist decides to advise against his returning to work.

Colin Jellico is looking forward to quizzing of a different nature - a pub quiz, which he's persuaded some of the scale to join in. Paired with Mike, they answer a call to a local park where a bevy of drunks have been brawling. Colin wants to take an old dosser, Charlie Gillespie, into custody for his own protection. Mike overrules him.

Mike feels more concern when he bumps into Brewer, father of the baby recently born in custody. Brewer admits that Kelly's on smack; he's worried about the baby. Mike checks on Kelly, and finds th

Sergeant Giffin is frustrated: he wants to take direct action against the drug dealers up at the Skeetsmoor, but Newlands is playing the waiting game. Giffin grabs his chance when thirteen year old Debbie Sharpe finally ODs. Jaz, keen to be in with CID, hassles her friend Davo for information. Davo, not the brightest of boys, admits that Terry Reynolds, a well-known dealer, is back in town, and has a heroin stash in his house. Whilst Newlands and Stowe are out for the day, Giffin deviously applies for a warrant.

To Mel, Debbie was more than a 'Scrote', and is tearful at her death. And Scrotes have feelings too: Davo is devastated at the loss of his friend. During the shift, the scale deal with other pathetic individuals driven to petty crime by poverty and a Kafkaesque system. Nat and Mike pick up a shoplifter - Vinnie Clark - caught trying to steal a Posh Spice doll for his daughter's birthday. And Alison Brennan, with a husband inside and two kids to feed, is

Mel's is accused of 'going native' - it's isolating her from the rest of the scale. In the locker room Mike warns her 'It's just a job at the end of the day - don't get so involved.' She's sent to deal with the neighbours from Hell, but as with most such disputes there's little she can do beyond warning the rowdy Walsh family against whom the complaint has been made.

Later, however, Giffin informs her he's had an anonymous call about twenty year old Trevor Walsh, who's allegedly involved with fourteen year old Becky Jennings. Trevor is a Schedule One Sex Offender so he orders Mel to 'sort it out'.

A check on Becky reassures Mel that there's no immediate danger and Darrell confirms this. He knows Trevor, and believes he's trying to make good. Besides, if the police arrested everyone having under-age sex 'they'd have to bring in the army'. Nevertheless, GIFFEN orders her to cover her back and get a Social Worker involved.

Colin's first day as the Schools Liaison Officer goes well. He enj

Mike wants to start the shift with a bacon butty at the local caff with some of the scale. Kennett has other ideas: she's got work to do. Pissed off with her abrasive and officious manner the lads play a practical joke: they leave her cuffed to a railing while they enjoy their sarnies. Only when Kennett is accosted by two men do they put her out of her misery and release her. Kennett doesn't see the funny side at all.

Mike tries to convince her that this was an initiation rite: they've all been through it. But Kennett is not impressed. Meanwhile Nat's theft turns out to involve an old mucker of Inspector Stowe's. Ex-inspector Northam has had his wallet nicked but wants it dealt with someone more senior. In the end, Giffin is forced to attend, and Northam ends up punching him. Giffin takes him in.

Meanwhile Roy and Dean are called to deal with a row at Hassan cabs and discover that Jaz has been moonlighting: he's dented someone's car with his cab. Now working for CID, he soon 'finds

HQ sends two investigating officers to look into Kennett's allegation against Giffin. The scale fears that the handcuff prank will come to light, especially Natalie who is acting sergeant during Giffin's suspension. This could end her chances of promotion.

Mike is also tense and dents a squad car. Nat sends him to work in custody where he spends the day clearing up diarrhoea. Colin also has a crap day: a store calls him to investigate a young boy who's defecated on one of their videos. He knows the boy -Hughie, who has a tyrannical step-father. When Colin goes to see Hughie's mother she decides she's had enough and vows to take all her children away from her bullying husband.

Mel, whose relationship with Darrell is thriving, goes plain clothes in the park to try and entrap a flasher. His victim is the daughter of Phil Hughes, a publican and friend of Roy's.

Roy himself has heard reports that Saheed Ifraz, an Asian teenager, has been dealing dope. Roy spends all day looking for Saheed,

Mel and Darrell - in bed together - are disturbed by a kid at the door. There's trouble up at the Reynolds's house. Both Mel and Darrell rush up there, to discover Gina Barry (who Mel knows from the women's group), and Maureen Skillet, spray painting Reynolds's house. They're furious because they've heard Reynolds has got off. As a squad car pulls up Mel makes a run for it. But she's concerned as to where this disinformation has come from. Reynolds's case has only been delayed, not cancelled.

The next morning, Giffin is back on duty following the collapse of Kennett's complaint. Kennett herself has been transferred, but there's another missing face. Mike only pops in to pick up his belongings - he really meant it: 'You know why I took the blame for Kennett? I was fed up - I was looking for a way out.'

Giffin has to deal with Terry Reynolds. He videoed the women vandalising his house and wants them arrested. Mel is called in to identify the women and some of the scale are sent out to

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