A new police inspector, Jean Darbley, arrives at Hartley police station and immediately has to deal with a man who takes his daughter from her home at gunpoint.

An elderly tea-lady is arrested, accused of stealing large sums of money from her employer.

A body is found in Hartley, and Insp Darbley helps a detective from the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad with the murder investigation.

PC Bentley tells Jean he thinks a woman is involved in a burglary at Major Adams's fall-out shelter. He is almost right.

Insp Darbley finds herself caught up in a dispute over an old steam engine.

Insp Darbley deals with nine-year-old tearaway Jonny Duffield.

Mick Grainger is apprehensive about leaving prison after six years and returning to his wife Judy.

Police make a bizarre discovery in the yard of Szabo's fish and chip shop.

Insp. Darbley tries to save a disturbed young mother and her baby.

Officers from the crime squad mount an undercover operation against a gang of international counterfeiters.

Insp Darbley goes to the rescue of an inexperienced young W.P.C.

Violence erupts in Hartley when an incomer tries to open a country club.

A widower and father of four who is fond of a drink or two comes between Insp Darbley and her husband.

Eleven-year-old Janice claims she has been told to steal washing from a launderette by a mystery man named Oscar.

Special Branch ask Insp Darbley to investigate a possible threat in advance of a planned royal visit.

Insp. Darbley takes a week's leave to carry out some home-decorating.

Insp Darbley clashes with her new boss, Chief Superintendent Albert Hallam.

Insp. Darbley tries to help a vulnerable young woman.

Insp. Darbley is left holding the baby when a prisoner is released from H.M.P. Parkhurst.

Police investigate a pet shop owner accused of inappropriate relations with a young child.

Insp. Darbley deals with an elderly couple who refuse to comply with an eviction order.

Insp. Darbley arranges safe accommodation for the sole witness in an attempted murder case.

Police investigate the disappearance of a teenaged boy who walks out of school just before taking his O-Level examinations.

A store detective's life starts to fall apart when she is compulsorily retired.

A well-known and respected councillor faces scandal and ruin over the love of the wrong woman.

Information from an informant has sent a man to jail, with serious consequences for Insp Darbley's private life.

Tom Darblay attends to an illness in the family, while P.C. Gallagher has his own family crisis.

Sgt. Parrish is surprised by the revelations of a minor criminal, while Insp. Darbley tries to solve the mystery of an old woman's amazing journey.

A man who was presumed dead after disappearing ten years earlier turns up to see Sgt. Beck.

Insp. Darbley doubts a man who swears he is innocent of any involvement in a robbery.

A soldier, home on leave from service in Northern Ireland, gets involved in a serious incident.

Police investigate a rash of unexplained fires.

Insp. Darbley investigates when the site of a new office development is vandalised.

Insp. Darbley is determined to identify the practical joker behind a series of petty thefts.

A gypsy is released from prison, reawakening a long-standing family feud.

PC Ted Palmer challenges Insp Darbley's authority, with unhappy consequences.

The police have to deal with a rowdy night at the Warmsleigh Road Social Club.

The police have to deal with the logistics of the annual pop festival. Meanwhile, a celebrated former resident returns to Hartley to visit his daughter.

Insp. Darbley deals with a face from the past, in a week in which the police have to cope with a robbery at the local co-op and some missing pigs.

P.C. Martin Helmshore faces a serious accusation.

The police deal with conflict between neighbouring farmers.

Insp Darbley is anxious to find out what Frankie Miller is doing in Hartley, and why Dick Graydon is covering up for him.

Two women struggle to cope with loneliness, with tragic consequences for one of them.

Sgt. Beck has difficulty trying to sell tickets for the annual police dance.

The team at Hartley police station await the arrival of the new inspector. Having lost Insp. Darbley, it will be good to have a man back in charge of the place.

Insp. Kate Longton leads an urgent search to save a life after receiving an anonymouse telephone call.

Insp. Longton agrees to a meeting about a forthcoming speaking engagement, but finds herself in a perilous situation.

Insp Longton tries to protect some children from a deadly habit.

Sgt Parrish demands to know why Insp Longton has taken Sgt Beck's name off the duty sheets.

P.C. Danny Sparks thinks about quitting the force, but Insp. Longton has decided to buy a house locally.

Insp Longton is struck by the resemblance between a missing husband and an artist's impression of a wanted man.

Insp. Longton becomes involved in the case of a young foster mother accused of shoplifting.

D.S. Bernie Duckworth faces a family tragedy when his daughter is knocked down by a lorry.

Insp. Longton enquires after John Morton, a dangerous young man who has returned to Hartley.

An elderly man reports hearing a threatening voice calling from outside his isolated house - in German.

Insp. Longton attends a report of assault, and examines her relationship with John Holden.

Insp. Longton tries to unravel the secret behind the strange behaviour of seventeen-year-old Simon Bailey.

Insp. Longton clashes with D.C.I. Mark Perrin over an armed robbery.

D.C.I. Perrin asks Insp. Longton to help bring an important witness back on side.

Insp. Longton warns local pensioners about confidence tricksters who have been posing as council officials.

A fourteen-year-old girl has gone missing along with two hundred pounds from her mother's desk.

Insp. Longton investigates a road accident and tries to prove that a drink-driver was responsible.

A local newspaper encourages hostility towards a travelling community.

A police officer's son is arrested.

Insp. Longton is in court and finds her motives under attack by an aggressive defence barrister.

The manager of a dry-cleaning establishment confesses to a prior conviction for fraud and finds himself out of a job.

A girl complains that a young man told her she will die on Hallowe'en.

P.C. Sparks provides someone with a defence of alibi against accusations of involvement in a series of robberies.

An anonymous telephone call leads Insp. Longton to a hopeless domestic situation and possible child abuse.

Insp. Longton needs the advice of Sgt. Beck in dealing with a troublesome freelance journalist, but he is on leave and cannot be found.

Sgt. Beck resigns when a prisoner is found dead in his cell.

A man confesses murder to the new vicar of Hartley then threatens to kill himself.

A gang, disguised as a shooting party, take the wife of a bank manager hostage.

Two brothers-in-law, on opposite sides during the miners' strike, are at loggerheads.

Insp. Longton informs a woman of the death of her daughter from a drug overdose, but the mother seems to be hiding something.

Sgt Beck and PC Sparks respond to a call to a break-in, but the suspect makes good his escape. Beck suspects a courting couple near the scene of involvement.

Insp. Longton finds that the demands of the job take their toll on her personal life, when responding to a report that an intruder has entered her friend's house.

A series of video thefts leads to an investigation of a rather more serious crime.

Insp. Longton discovers that one of her colleagues is a thief.

Insp. Longton suspects the involvement of animal rights activists when a butcher and a pathologist are subjected to harassment.

The police have to contend with a hymn-singing religious fanatic and a sleepless lay preacher. Insp. Longton has a heart-to-heart with D.C.I. Perrin.

Hartley Police Station prepares for a visit from the Chief Constable.

A man detained overnight for being drunk and disorderly reports seing a young girl in chains.

An army major asks Insp Longton to help him find a deserting corporal.

Insp. Longton investigates an alleged affair between a teacher and one of his pupils.

Local residents complain about a gang of youngsters asking for work.

Insp. Longton is held up on her way to an interview for the post of Chief Inspector of the Juvenile Board, as she has to deal with a deranged woman threatening to harm her own children.

The police deal with a spate of thefts of Christmas trees, while Insp. Longton considers her career options in light of her failed bid for promotion.