The Bill (series 12)

Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	156
Release
Original network	ITV
Original release	2 January 1996 – 31 December 1996

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).

Cast changes

Arrivals

• DS Geoff Daly
• DC Liz Rawton
• PC Jamila Blake

Departures

• PC Cathy Marshall
• PC Donna Harris
• Sgt Ray Steele
• DC Alan Woods

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
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
Loxton and Slater deal with a woman drink-driver.
3	"Runners Up"	Tracey Childs guest stars.	Nick Laughland	Robert Jones	5 January 1996
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
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
Ackland and Jarvis follow up a vicious assault.
6	"Outer"	Rhona Mitra guest stars.	Nick Laughland	J. C. Wilsher	12 January 1996
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
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
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 episode, Final appearance of PC Cathy Marshall, Tina Hobley, Nicholas Ball, Don McCorkindale and Polly Jo Pleasence guest star.	Martin Hutchings	Julian Spilsbury	19 January 1996
What begins as a routine night for the officers at Sun Hill ends in personal tragedy.
10	"Old Dogs, New Tricks"	Ian Ashpitel guest stars.	Frank W. Smith	Jonathan Myerson	23 January 1996
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
While Deakin investigates the kidnapping of a five-year-old boy, Conway gets some unsettling news.
12	"One Night With You: Part 2"	TBA	Derek Lister	Chris Ould	26 January 1996
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
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"	Frances Barber guest stars.	Corin Campbell Hill	Avril E. Russell	1 February 1996
Slater and Garfield struggle to keep the peace when two women fall out over the same man.
15	"Happy Birthday"	James Marsters and Michelle Gomez guest stars.	Sarah Harding	Tom Needham	2 February 1996
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 guest stars.	Sarah Harding	Margaret Ousby	6 February 1996
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"	Martin Gower guest stars.	Corin Campbell Hill	David G. McDonagh	8 February 1996
A reconstruction brings forward an unexpected witness to an assault on a 15-year-old boy.
18	"Back in Business"	Andrew Powell guest stars.	Laurence Moody	Peter Gibbs	9 February 1996
Acting Supt. Conway is stirred into action by a face from the past.
19	"Separate Rooms"	Camilla Power guest stars.	Jan Sargent	Nick Crittenden	13 February 1996
Lines investigates an allegation of underage sex.
20	"Going Guilty"	Nicola Bryant guest stars.	James Hawes	Mark Holloway	15 February 1996
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"	Anthony Head and Karen Gillan guest stars.	Derek Lister	Maxwell Young	16 February 1996
Beech is caught in the crossfire when uniform and C.I.D. fall out over a directive from Brownlow.
22	"Somebody's Home"	Philip Bloomfield guest stars.	Jan Sargent	Simon Tyrrell	20 February 1996
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
Carver and Skase investigate an assault on an Asian schoolboy.
24	"Boy Meets Girl"	Rosie Marcel and Alexis Denisof guest stars.	James Hawes	Simon Moss	23 February 1996
Croft investigates a series of vicious sexual assaults.
25	"Confession"	Hour-long episode, Guest appearance by DS Danny Pearce, Final appearance of PC Donna Harris, David Westhead guest stars.	David Richards	Terry Hodgkinson	27 February 1996
Meadows and Carver have to look again at a man cleared of murder.
26	"Home From Home"	Mark Straker guest stars.	June Howson	Stephen McAteer	29 February 1996
Stamp and Slater are called to supervise the eviction of a father from his home.
27	"Open Wound"	TBA	John Bruce	Tom Needham	1 March 1996
Skase and Deakin deal with a wounded crack dealer shot in the yard of a pub.
28	"Perfect Match"	TBA	Laurence Moody	Carolyn Sally Jones	1 March 1996
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
Lines and Skase investigate a possible arson attack on a nightclub.
30	"Bits and Pieces"	Lucy Benjamin and Peter Benson guest star.	Simon Meyers	Terry Hodgkinson	8 March 1996
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
Cryer and Slater handle a tricky case involving a disabled former police officer and his wayward son.
32	"Kicked Out"	TBA	Michael Ferguson	Stephen C. Handley	14 March 1996
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
Boulton loses a suspect during an arrest and has to ask Monroe to help get him back.
34	"Getting Off"	TBA	Michael Cocker	Graham Mitchell	19 March 1996
Boulton investigates a convicted drug addict and clashes with a drugs worker.
35	"Girls' Night"	TBA	Gill Wilkinson	Gwyneth Hughes	21 March 1996
Loxton and Page deal with a bridegroom who disrupts a hen night.
36	"Blood Brothers"	Roshan Seth and Sebastian Abineri guest star.	Jeremy Silberston	Manjit Singh	22 March 1996
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"	Elaine Donnelly guest stars.	Robert Del Maestro	Gregory Evans	23 March 1996
Loxton and Keane chase a local tearaway, who gets injured. Conway has to deal with the resultant accusations of police harassment.
38	"A Hornet's Nest"	Melanie Kilburn and Chrissie Cotterill guest star.	Robert Del Maestro	Candy Denman	28 March 1996
Greig is charged with police brutality following a raid on a burglar's home.
39	"Dead of Night"	Rosie Cavaliero and Will Barton guest star.	Ian White	Julian Jones	29 March 1996
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
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"	Steve Swinscoe guest stars.	Jeremy Silberston	David Hoskins	4 April 1996
Keane has a bad day in court, while Monroe follows up on a domestic incident.
42	"Beating the Odds"	Jamie Glover, Amelia Curtis and Freddie Earlle guest star.	Ian White	Edwin Pearce	5 April 1996
Boulton investigates a notorious local bookie and prompts suspicions about Beech's private life.
43	"Animal"	Ian Reddington, Sara Powell and Sheree Murphy guest star.	Kate Cheeseman	Tom Needham	9 April 1996
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 and David Telfer guest star.	Brian Parker	Elizabeth-Anne Wheal	10 April 1996
Boulton, Carver and Deakin take part in a Flying Squad operation against a vicious gang of armed robbers.
45	"Dancers"	Kathleen Worth, Tenniel Evans, Ray Armstrong and Reginald Jessup guest star.	Nick Laughland	Mark Holloway	12 April 1996
Brownlow organises a tea dance for the Metropolitan Police Pensioners' and Widows' Society.
46	"And Nothing But"	TBA	Michael Simpson	Richard Stoneman	16 April 1996
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
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 guest stars.	Kate Cheeseman	Spenser Frearson	19 April 1996
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
Loxton and Quinnan investigate an employment agency that provides lucrative opportunities to women with financial troubles.
50	"Going For a Song"	Guest appearance by DS Mike Dashwood, Carole Nimmons guest stars.	Martin Hutchings	Julian Spilsbury	25 April 1996
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
Hollis goes undercover in the seedy world of vice in pursuit of the unscrupulous owner of a clip joint.
52	"Professional Ethics"	John Bowler and Barry Ewart guest star.	Chris Lovett	David Hoskins	30 April 1996
Greig and Lines investigate graffiti attacks on motor vehicles and uncover a fraud.
53	"Accidents Will Happen"	TBA	Tom Cotter	David G. McDonagh	2 May 1996
Boyden and Page look into a protection racket.
54	"Time Spent"	Paul Kember guest stars.	Chris Lovett	Chris Ould	3 May 1996
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
Deakin and Boulton investigate a fatal stabbing and uncover jealousy and deceit.
56	"Cold Feet and Hot Coffee"	Vilma Hollingbery and Stephen Churchett guest star.	Gwennan Sage	Julian Perkins	9 May 1996
Loxton and Page go undercover at a wedding to prevent a jilted lover spoiling the bride's big day.
57	"Rollover"	Libby Davison guest stars.	Michael Simpson	Nick Crittenden	10 May 1996
Deakin comes down hard on a snout who tries to buck the system, and gets an unexpected result.
58	"Tough Love"	John Michie and Dione Inman guest star.	Martin Hutchings	Katharine Way	14 May 1996
Hollis and Garfield deal with an attack on a school bully.
59	"With This Ring"	Roger Avon guest stars.	Nick Laughland	John Brennan	16 May 1996
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 guest stars.	Michael Ferguson	Mark Holloway	17 May 1996
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
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"	TBA	Danny Hiller	Mark Illis	23 May 1996
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 Christopher Saul guest star.	Dominic Lees	Lyndon Mallett	24 May 1996
Boulton and Carver try to decide whether a householder used reasonable force when he killed a burglar with a baseball bat.
64	"Cuckoo"	Honeysuckle Weeks and Campbell Morrison guest star.	Danny Hiller	Nicholas McInerny	28 May 1996
Page and Monroe are dragged into a family squabble.
65	"Helping Hands"	Aidan J. David guest stars.	Peter Duffell	Clive Dawson	30 May 1996
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
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
New recruit 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
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
Jarvis steps in to help Page deal with a violent attack, but there are complications.
70	"The Bagman"	Roy Macready and Sidney Kean guest star.	Michael Cocker	Richard McBrien	11 June 1996
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
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"	TBA	Jo Shoop	Graham Mitchell	20 June 1996
Deakin and Boulton investigate when a pimp is discovered badly beaten in a pile of rubbish.
73	"Camper"	Timothy Bateson guest stars.	Moira Armstrong	Terry Hodgkinson	21 June 1996
Slater and Boyden are involved in a drugs bust involving a camper van.
74	"Spill"	Hour-long episode, Lolita Chakrabarti, Bob Mason and Toni Palmer guest star.	John Strickland	Michael Jenner	25 June 1996
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
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
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"	Peter Russell guest stars.	Michael Ferguson	Andrew Rattenbury	2 July 1996
Jarvis and Keane deal with a boy in possession of a pensioner's prescription.
78	"Tarts Cards"	Annie Hulley guest stars.	Simon Meyers	Margaret Ousby	4 July 1996
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
Boulton investigates an assault on an old man.
80	"Kick Me Hard"	TBA	Audrey Cooke	Gregory Evans	9 July 1996
Daly mounts an operation to catch muggers. Page goes undercover as a pregnant woman to act as bait.
81	"All or Nothing"	Martyn Read guest stars.	Adrian J. Fearnley	Philip Kingston	11 July 1996
Quinnan and Keane discover the body of a young girl in a pub toilet.
82	"Unlucky In Love"	Anna Keaveney and Joanne Froggatt guest star.	Jo Shoop	Jonathan Rich	12 July 1996
Boyden investigates a dating agency that is rumoured to be providing underage girls.
83	"A Quick Return"	TBA	Brian Parker	Stephen McAteer	16 July 1996
Cryer and Keane investigate a series of street robberies and find four teenagers trying to buy their way into drug-dealing.
84	"Sartorial Elegance"	TBA	Simon Massey	Nigel Baldwin	18 July 1996
Carver and Jarvis misjudge the condition of a witness, threatening Operation Eagle Eye.
85	"Don't Leave Me This Way"	Albert Welling and Karen Gledhill guest star.	Ian White	Graham White	19 July 1996
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
Monroe investigates a schoolboy's claim that he was assaulted by his teacher.
87	"Playing It By The Rules"	TBA	Chris Lovett	Sheila Duncan	25 July 1996
Deakin is handed the chance to bust a drug dealer when his wife turns informant.
88	"True Colours"	John Owens guest stars.	Brian Parker	Elizabeth-Anne Wheal	26 July 1996
Daly is determined to find out why a white teenager is trying to take the blame for his black friends.
89	"Target"	Final appearance of WDS Jo Morgan	John Strickland	Edward Canford-Dumas	29 July 1996
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. Feature length rebroadcast of the episodes "Fire", "All Tucked Up" and "Bait" from Series 11
90	"Dead Man's Hand"	Jamie Foreman guest stars.	Dominic Lees	Simon Tyrrell	30 July 1996
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
Boulton uses an informant as the bait to catch a dangerous villain.
92	"Theory and Practice"	TBA	Peter Barber-Fleming	Maxwell Young	6 August 1996
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"	Bob Appleby guest stars.	Peter Lydon	Matthew Wingett	8 August 1996
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"	Ian Brimble guest stars.	Simon Meyers	Barry Simner	9 August 1996
Hollis gets ideas above his station when his lady friend wants to become his informant.
95	"Reminders"	Vas Blackwood and Laurie Brett guest star.	Chris Lovett	Michael Jenner	13 August 1996
Daly and Carver pursue a missing prisoner who appears determined to restore his reputation as a hard man.
96	"Minding"	TBA	Nick Laughland	Mark Holloway	15 August 1996
Loxton and Keane arrest a woman for shoplifting. Grieg and Croft investigate 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
Beech and Lines investigate a series of aggravated robberies on garage forecourts.
98	"Don't Kill the Messenger"	Michael McStay and Christopher Whittingham guest star.	Jim Shields	Isabelle Grey	20 August 1996
Jarvis receives death threats from a youth who blames him for his father's death, and who cannot accept that his father was a sex offender.
99	"Junior"	Zig Byfield guest stars.	Jim Shields	Julian Perkins	22 August 1996
Beech employs a fifteen-year-old boy as an informer to expose a crooked car ring.
100	"Pony Express"	Andy Linden guest stars.	Simon Meyers	David G. McDonagh	23 August 1996
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 guest stars.	Ian White	Edwin Pearce	27 August 1996
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"	John Gillett guest stars.	Gill Wilkinson	Chris Smyth	29 August 1996
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"	TBA	Robert Del Maestro	Chris Ould	30 August 1996
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 and Maxine Evans guest stars.	Audrey Cooke	Robert Jones	3 September 1996
Keane is held hostage by a desperate armed robber.
105	"Second Chances"	TBA	Nick Laughland	Manjit Singh	5 September 1996
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 guest stars.	Peter Lydon	Lyndon Mallet	6 September 1996
A petrol can, a lighter and a desperate man threatening to burn down a house. Can Conway talk him round?
107	"The Liar"	First appearance of DC Liz Rawton, Elizabeth Bennett guest stars.	Michael Simpson	Spenser Frearson	10 September 1996
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 guest stars.	Ken Horn	Jimmy Gardner	12 September 1996
Garfield and McCann investigate a vicious mugging.
109	"Karma"	TBA	Brian Parker	Edward Canford-Dumas	13 September 1996
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
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, Martin Glyn Murray, Oliver Smith and Bill Moody guest star.	Tom Cotter	Richard Stoneman	18 September 1996
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 stars.	Ian White	Simon Moss	19 September 1996
Quinnan and a teenage burglary suspect are trapped in a broken lift in a housing estate.
113	"Too Close For Comfort"	Vincent Pickering guest stars.	Robin Sheppard	Maxwell Young	20 September 1996
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
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"	TBA	Robert Del Maestro	Tony Mulholland	26 September 1996
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
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, Rachel Weaver and Mary Healey guest star.	Morag Fullarton	Simon Tyrrell	1 October 1996
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 and Gerry Cowper guest star.	Derek Lister	Joanne Maguire	3 October 1996
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"	Neil Daglish guest stars.	Diana Patrick	Robert Jones	4 October 1996
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 and Antony Webb guest star.	Ken Horn	A. Valentine	8 October 1996
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 trouble-makers.
121	"Presumed Innocent"	Michael McKell and Roger Blake guest star.	Harry Bradbeer	Elizabeth-Anne Wheal	10 October 1996
Cryer and Keane uncover the murky past of a teenage girl who has been killed in a road accident.
122	"Change of Heart"	TBA	Gill Wilkinson	Graham Mitchell	11 October 1996
Meadows and Rawton try to persuade the girlfriend of a rape suspect to help in his arrest.
123	"Hedging Your Bets"	Peter Jeffrey guest stars	Roger Gartland	Candy Denman	15 October 1996
Tensions arise between Deakin and Beech after a bookie is robbed.
124	"Out of the Past"	Kate Eaton guest stars.	Robin Sheppard	Tony Lindsay	17 October 1996
Meadows has to decide where his loyalties lie when an old friend is accused of murder.
125	"Road to Recovery"	TBA	Jo Shoop	Len Collin	18 October 1996
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
Greig and Skase investigate when three small-time villains are beaten up over their involvement in a counterfeit money-laundering operation.
127	"Track Marks"	David John Pope guest stars.	Harry Bradbeer	James Stevenson	24 October 1996
Carver disapproves of Boulton's ruthless handling of an informant.
128	"In for the Kill"	TBA	Derek Lister	Tom Needham	25 October 1996
Meadows and Croft interview a young waiter accused of trying to kill his boss.
129	"Remote Control"	TBA	Steve Shill	Julian Spilsbury	29 October 1996
Daly and Lines investigate a series of muggings at knifepoint.
130	"Telling Tales"	Derek Newark and Malcolm Tierney guest star.	Jo Shoop	Renny Krupinski	31 October 1996
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
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"	TBA	Christopher Hodson	Michael Jenner	5 November 1996
Slater gets into trouble after following up on a tip-off about a till snatch.
133	"All in the Mind"	TBA	Diana Patrick	Edwin Pearce	7 November 1996
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 guest stars.	Roger Gartland	Isabelle Grey	8 November 1996
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
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"	Derek Crewe guest stars.	James Hawes	Simon Moss	14 November 1996
Ackland introduces single-manning at Sun Hill, causing problems for Brownlow.
137	"Finishing School"	TBA	Michael Cocker	Barry Simner	15 November 1996
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
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"	Clive Kneller guest stars.	Steve Shill	Lyndon Mallett	21 November 1996
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
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"	TBA	John Bruce	Katharine Way	26 November 1996
Boulton arrests a woman for drug dealing, but Rawton suspects that she may be a victim of mistaken identity.
142	"Public Relations"	TBA	Brian Parker	Philip Kingston	28 November 1996
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
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"	TBA	Martin Hutchings	Edward Canford-Dumas	3 December 1996
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"	TBA	Jane Prowse	Mark Holloway	5 December 1996
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
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
Croft and Rawton investigate some shady Romanian businessmen and a suitcase full of black paper.
148	"Scorned"	Brian Protheroe and Jane Slavin guest star.	Morag Fullarton	Tracey Black	12 December 1996
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
Monroe and Datta deal with a difficult situation when a nursery school cleaner takes a young girl hostage, and uncover a tragic family secret.
150	"Jumping to Conclusions"	Nick Burnell guest stars.	Harry Bradbeer	Philip Kingston	17 December 1996
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 and David Schofield guest star.	James Hawes	Stephen Plaice	19 December 1996
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
Beech and Daly are put in an impossible situation when a judge decides to reveal the name of their informant.
153	"Merrily On High"	Danny Dyer and Frank Mills guest star. New opening sequence introduced.	Michael Cocker	Robert Jones	24 December 1996
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
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"	Sion Tudor Owen and Eric Mason guest star.	John Bruce	Stephen Greenhorn	27 December 1996
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 guest stars.	Nigel Douglas	Tony Mulholland	31 December 1996
Cryer investigates when a player in the same basketball team as the son of a former Sun Hill officer collapses from a drug overdose.