David has a telephone installed, but new neighbour Edith Fairley is constantly engaging the two-party line, much to the chagrin of Vernon. When her ex-husband comes looking for her, Vernon offers to help if it means he can get calls for his new taxi business. Local criminal Harry North arrives with a friend and their girlfriend, who soon cause trouble, leading Mike to be creative in their capture. Gina rejects Phil's marriage proposal, leading him to rethink his priorities. Ashfordly police find themselves investigating a string of burglaries in the area, in which the burglar only steals objects of sentimental value from people's homes. While PC Ventress has to prevent the latest victim taking action, it becomes clear that the link between the targets is a local window cleaner, who soon seeks help when he learns of how much trouble he is in. Meanwhile, Oscar recruits aid from David as he runs against Jowett in the local parish election, and Dr. Summerbee tries to organise a fitness class that soon leads her to reveal to PC Bradley about an underlying health condition she has. A seriously ill fugitive pursues a vendetta against the Ashfordly police by manipulating two young boys to do his dirty work, leading PC Joe and DS Dawson into finding and apprehending him. Meanwhile, Dawn teaches PC Younger ballroom dancing so that he can partner with Joyce Jowett at a charity event, and David takes up pottery to aid Peggy's collaboration with a furniture retailer. Frank McCready, Lord Asfordly's game keeper, is heavily in debt due to his gambling and thuse steals the Estate workers' payroll to cover his losses, though his actions soon have consequences when Mike becomes involved in investigating the crime and learns how much McCready's actions will cost him. Greengrass comes across a broken-down lorry full of coal, and commandeers the cargo per his interpretation of maritime law, which soon gets him into trouble.

After Gina tells him she does not want to marry him, Bellamy's temper boils over and lands him in trouble with Sgt. Merton. The police pursue a sniper who targets a shooter at a clay-pigeon shoot. Vernon opens a bed-and-breakfast, but when David quits, Vernon has to do the cooking, and gives himself food-poisoning. Rob is called out to investigate a series of vandalisms against Lord Ashfordly's new estate manager who angered the tenants with hard-line methods learned in South Africa. Meanwhile, Peggy believes she has found the explanation for David's recent behaviour when she uncovers his strange new addiction. The police are puzzled when a retired colleague of Ventress and Blaketon's seems to become the unlikely victim of vandalism. Suspicions arise over his sudden return to the village and his connection to a prominent judge staying at Ashfordly Hall. Meanwhile, Vernon encounters dangerous wildlife as he stashes cash in Ashfordly woods before a visit by a tax inspector, but tries to turn the incident into another money-making scheme, leading him into further peril.Sgt. Merton refuses to allow an investigation into a couple who recently arrived in the area, after PC Bradley suspects they may be involved in the disappearance of a Ming vase At the same time, Oscar has suspicions on a new guest at the Aidensfield Arms, who also arrived at the same time and is working with the couple. However, it soon transpires that the couple are part of an extremist group seeking to abduct an important VIP, unaware that their friend is an undercover Special Branch officer seeking to arrest them. Maggie finds herself accused of medical negligence by the relatives of the elderly Mildred Crosby, who died following breathing difficulties and left her money and a valuable painting, leading to Mike to help prove her innocence in the matter. Ventress and Bellamy find themselves solving separate matters concerning recent burglaries and a horse that keeps disappearing from its owners. Greengrass offers shelter to an Irish traveller, who he soon finds can predict horse race results in his sleep. DS Dawson requests assistance from Ashfordly police into investigating a list of stolen goods suspected of being in the possession of a shady antiques dealer. PC Mason soon discovers evidence that links the dealer to the items, when he discovers that a notorious burglar, who recently died, frequented the place with his children, unaware of the permanent harm he was doing to them and himself. Elsewhere, Jowett rallies the villagers when a group of Taoist monks become stranded en route to a monastery in Middlesbrough, but things soon change when the monks prove quite friendly to everyone. Vernon's efforts to create an impressive celebration for Liz and Ben's wedding results in chaos when Ben assists the police during the kidnapping of a banker's wife. When the extent of Jenny's mental issues becomes clear, Merton must choose between his wife and his career. Helen's dreams of a fresh start for her marriage look set to be shattered, and Bellamy is happily promoted to acting sergeant in Merton's absence. With Merton on honeymoon, acting sergeant Ventress searches for a bogus waterboard official who has been robbing the elderly, but his attention turns to a suspicious death linked to one of the burglary victims. Meanwhile, Blaketon restages a pre-war darts tournament with a rival pub, the White Lion, to reclaim a silver trophy that the Aidensfield Arms had originally won. David is upset when Blaketon rejects him as a team-member and joins the White Lion darts team instead. Gina faces an obstacle to her impending marriage to Bellamy when she learns police rules do not allow wives to hold a pub licence.

A desperate family man trying to pay for his daughter's wedding is extorted by a loan shark into engineering a robbery at his workplace. Fearful for his life, he confides in Blaketon who must choose between ruining the family or protecting the man's life. Meanwhile, David causes trouble when he takes up photography and catches the villagers in compromising positions.After being told that he must now accept retirement, after previous postponements, Ventress' suspicions lead him and Blaketon to investigate the night-time theft of sheep fleeces in the local countryside. Bernie finds himself in a difficult situation when an Australian arrives for the funeral of his estranged grandfather who has already been buried by the undertaker. Blaketon has to fend off the attentions of a local widow.

Ashfordly police find they have a thief in Aidensfield, who was involved in a crime spree in Whitby. Investigating the matter, they discover a link between the latest targets and a new arrival to the village. Meanwhile, Vernon offers to help a travelling circus find somewhere to set up a winter camp, but Lord Ashfordly soon regrets agreeing to his request when Vernon tries to capitalise on the situation.Ashfordly police find themselves dealing with a modern-day "Robin Hood", and discover a connection between their robberies and a series of envelopes to elderly residents carrying cash stolen during each robbery. At the same time, Blaketon and Ventress join forces to help investigate the disappearance of an estranged son who left home after a heated argument with his father. Both find their cases colliding, when it transpires that the robberies are related to questionable business ethics over the construction of a new housing estate. Steve Crane's eccentric mother Babs arrives, having separated from her screenwriter boyfriend and grown tired of the London arts scene. She becomes a big hit with the locals, especially Blaketon and Vernon, the latter having a change of fortune after purchasing one of her paintings. However, she causes chaos when burglaries provide her with the opportunity to practice her self-defence skills, leaving Merton both exasperated and impressed. Meanwhile, Gina begins dating another guest at the pub who immediately gets on the wrong side of an overprotective and suspicious Blaketon. A businessman comes to Ashfordly Hall with his wife to set up a shooting party, but swiftly gains the wrath of a local man who seeks revenge for having his dog shot by him. Ashfordly police soon have to investigate when the businessman is later shot, and discover that he is deeply unfaithful to his wife. Meanwhile, Vernon is forced to go to hospital and reluctantly leaves his latest tourist enterprise in David's hand, which soon ends in disaster. Blaketon finds himself in trouble when his car is involved in a hit-and-run after being stolen on the same night, but refuses to explain where he was at the time of the incident, prompting Ventress to investigate after Mike finds drugs in the vehicle that were left behind by the culprits. Greengrass decides to make some money by having Bernie reassemble some old motorcycles from a widow's barn, but his plans come apart when neither live up to expectations. The stories are generally simple, such as the search for a missing watch (this was the episode which included the family violence). The story is rarely predictable, though, and even when it is, it's fun to watch the characters develop the storyline.