Sgt. Merton, freshly demoted from CID, arrives at the police station to take on the new roll as Sergeant. When Ventress brings a disqualified driver in, Alf is threatned if he takes the further, the driver will reveal his past. Oscar presuades Alf to come clean, and Merton is understanding. The driver is later arrested on a drugs case. David attempts to get fit at a gymn, but things don't go too smoothly.

A family feud over land escalates with a fight in the pub, partly provoked by Tom. Unknown to the two families involved, 2 of them from opposing sides used to go out with each other. Thankfully, Alf calms both parties down, and talks some sense into them.

The owner of a large house has recently acquired a ming varse. While he is on holiday, David looks after the house, however he leaves after he learns some other people have moved in. It turns out they are responsible for the missing vase.

Helen Jones returns home walking her dog and surprises a young intruder who strikingly resembles her run-away husband decades ago. Later David finds him in Vernon's barn, and soon Vernon is involved in the wine processing business.

A new health food shop in Ashfordly demands goatmilk, so Vernon and David keep goats, but without a proper pen the goats attack Blaketon's and others' gardens.

A guest house suffers an intrusion but nothing seems to be stolen, Sue Dixon and her teenage daughter have just moved in but there's no harmony between them,

The walking disaster area PPC Nicholson comes of age and the whole village is planning a surprise party for him. To keep him - and everybody else - out of harms way Sergeant Merton sends him out to check tax discs together with PC Bellamy. Jimmy Sutton is suspected to be involved in an armed robbery and the Ashfordly police are asked to check on his whereabouts, but neither his mother nor his wife Lesley have heard from him. PC Bellamy stumbles across the robbers hiding out in the woods, and when he is injured PPC Nicholson offers to be their hostage instead. A heroic action with tragic consequences for him. Lord Ashfordly is playing host to a party of American veterans from World War II. Vernon Scripps persuades him to let the local brass band to be responsible for the entertainment. This is a bad idea because the band leader George Sugden does not like Americans and especially not this lot.

Sergeant Merton is dating Vivienne Keen, but the morning after a date she accuses him of stealing her purse. Merton of course denies the allegation and is suspended pending investigation, but things do not look to good for him when the purse is found in his apartment. Furthermore a similar allegation was made against him ten years earlier, but the case was dropped. PC Bradley still thinks his superior is innocent and begins his own, private investigation at the risk of being suspended himself. Bernie Scripps is acting strangely. He has seen Dr. Summerbee a lot recently and Vernon is afraid he suffers from a serious depression.

Harvey Cottrell buys furniture at almost stealing prizes. He shows great interest in Alice Stanton's Greek figurine and the next day it is gone. The same thing happens to an old mirror belonging to John Salter, and Cottrell turned really nasty when she would not sell him that. The villagers of Aidensfield have to elect either Oscar Blaketon or Joyce Jowett as the parish representative for the counsel and the candidates do everything they can to outdo and discredit each other. Many villagers find it hard to get to the village hall to vote and Blaketon offers to take them there in David's taxi. Dr. Summerbee thinks that exercise will improve general health in Aidensfield and organizes a fitness class. But fitness may not be too good to herself because she collapses after the class.

Saul Arkwright walks his dog close to Lord Ashfordly's estate when the dog is shot by one of Lord Ashfordly's guests Oliver Langley. Since Langley just drives off nearly hitting Arkwright in the process the latter see no other alternative than to make a complaint to the police. When the police do not do enough in his opinion Arkwright takes matters in his own hand. Vernon Scripps has had a new "bright" idea. He has bought a surplus U.S. Army half-track tank to drive tourists around the countryside. But since he has a boil in a very private place David has to drive the half-track for him. David only flattens half the village trying to get the hang of it.

Josie Peters is number one in her class. The class is going on a field trip, but she thinks she cannot go because her family is too poor to pay for it. Her school has a fund for situations like that, but her father will not accept any charity and insists that he will get the money himself. The night before the field trip Ralph Peel, Len Peter's employer, is mugged and the proceeds of the day are stolen. Josie also has a crush on her teacher Roger Gifford, and when her father reads about it in her diary he believes that her fantasies about him are true. The ventriloquist Ernie Dobson has died and left his dummy Enoch to David, who treats the dummy like a real person and drives Vernon Scripps mad.

Mike and Tricia get involved in a domsetic violence case. tricia seems unwell all the time, complaining of headaches as she goes to the primary school, Jenny puts this down to her stress with Mike- she'd told him that she's in love and he didn't respond. Later After the woman has left her violent husband the husband hides in tricias house, Tricia returns home from a funeral only to be attacked, she manages to escape into the garden where she colapses, Mike later finds her.

A new recruit causes a stir at Ashfordly police station. PC Rob Walker was brought up in Aidensfield but his family life was far from perfect and his father dabbled on the wrong side of the law. Oscar Blaketon remembers Walker senior all too well and he still has some unfinished business with Rob. Meanwhile, Ben and Liz's fund-raising efforts appear to have rubbed off on Vernon, who begins to show his charitable side.

The residents of Aidensfield are terrorised by a blackmailer and Sergeant Merton is less than impressed by the investigative methods of the handsome newcomer PC Rob Walker. Meanwhile, Vernon embarks on a venture in the prestigious world of publishing, with the help of David and Bernie.

The police's reputation is at stake when burglaries appear to be being committed by one of their men. Vernon offers his art expertise to a painting party, but when his life model fails to show, he looks closer to home.

Blaketon is put in a compromising position when the police investigate a warehouse robbery he knows something about. A police lost property clear-out provides David with a new hobby, but it doesn't keep him out of trouble.

Merton has to call in CID when a farmer's body is found tangled in a fence, in suspicious circumstances. Vernon revives an old dance to impress the taxi licensing committee, but he crosses Blaketon in the process.

Bellamy is forced to confront painful memories when he becomes a target for misplaced revenge. Visiting relatives beset Lord Ashfordly, while Vernon starts the new mechanic on scrap car restoration.

Merton suspects explosives from a local airfield are linked to a robbery but his hands are tied when a DI pulls rank. Vernon sees a money-spinner when David enters a unique plant in the Aidensfield flower show.

Merton has to call in CID when armed robbers snatch a woman's diamonds from her neck. Ben shares some unexpected news with Liz while David bathes in new found fame.

When an ex-army officer is found dead in his home, suspicion is cast on his money-hungry wife. And Rosie ends up with more admirers than she bargained for when she goes on a blind date.

When a retired policeman is killed while escaping to Spain with a mystery woman, Merton is faced with the task of breaking the news to his widow. Vernon tries to make a quick buck at the poker table but comes a cropper at the hands of a crafty hustler.

A new doctor arrives in Aidensfield, and Merton is put under pressure when Jenny becomes convinced that he is having an affair.

A kidnap case leaves Vernon's plans for Liz and Ben's wedding in chaos, while Helen's dreams of a fresh start for her and Matt look set to be shattered. Jenny is relieved when she finally gets a medical diagnosis explaining her recent symptoms, but the news brings a difficult decision for husband Dennis, who has to choose between his wife and his police career.