Mike is horrified when Tricia gets involved with a racehorse trainer, and Vernon has a surprise visit from a long-lost sibling.

Police are baffled when there seem to be too many motives behind an arson attack on a warehouse. David is not impressed by Vernon's new found wealth and Bernie regrets getting involved with his latest bright idea.

A masked man gets away with thousands of pounds from an armoured van giving a distraction to Jenny and Sgt. Merton's Wedding.

Merton and Jenny return early from honeymoon. The police are called out when people coming home from holidays discover they have been burgled. Vernon's aspirations rise higher.

Steve tries his hand at community policing when he takes a group of troublesome lads on an outward bound course. Vernon tries to get involved with Eastern mysticism when a visiting guru needs premises for a meditation course.

The police have to intervene when a woman complains about a neighbouring farmer's dead cow, and Vernon gets a nasty surprise when he hatches a plan for a compost business.

A recently widowed woman arrives in Aidensfield wanting to bury her late husband in the family grave, but the dead man's brother refuses to co-operate because of an old feud. Vernon and David pay a visit, hoping to persuade him otherwise - only to find themselves held at gunpoint - and when it emerges the coffin is full of money and the deceased is alive and well, a shocking case of fraud is uncovered. Meanwhile, Oscar is among the locals under suspicion when a widely disliked, hardened criminal returns to the village - and soon ends up murdered.

Dr. Merrick faces a testing time when a terrified hospital patient claims her husband is trying to kill her, but Merton seems reluctant to get involved, while Vernon picks up a bargain all-purpose pest-control solution, enlisting David's help in his eradication mission. Gina's cousin Diane arrives to help her and Phil with the wedding preparations - much to the delight of PC Crane, who's instantly smitten.

After a petty thief is hurt in a car crash, Crane discovers that Merton's wife Jenny is involved in one of his shady schemes. Meanwhile, Liz is given a surprising offer when she tries to help a sick man regain his job, and David, Bernie and Vernon enter the Ashfordly Gazette poetry competion.

Dennis Merton is called to Ranby Hall to investigate the sudden death of racing driver Jack Maclean from a massive insulin overdose while he was under the care of Liz Merrick and Dennis's wife, Jenny. Meanwhile Vernon bumps into an old friend who offers him a gilt-edged business opportunity which leads him into serious trouble.

Alf Ventress is stunned to learn that a change in working regulations means that he will have to retire from the force. Meanwhile, Merton and his team go in search of a phantom sheep shearer, and romance is in the air as Blaketon acquires an admirer and Gina is asked out on a date by hunky Australian Kevin Kelly.

When Harry Hawkswell, a retired policeman and former colleague of Alf Ventress, turns up in the village he manages to put everyone's backs up by making himself a little too much at home at the police station. Meanwhile, Vernon is in a state of panic as he awaits a visit from the Inland Revenue, and Liz Merrick is confused by Ben Norton's behaviour.

A large sum of money is reported stolen and the subsequent investigation leads to surprising revelations. Meanwhile, Ventress and Blaketon team up to locate a pair of twins, and Jenny becomes increasingly frustrated at the amount of time Dennis spends at work.

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

Veteran singer and keyboard player Alan Price guest stars in this festive episode of the rural drama, as the leader of a down-on-their-luck jazz band. Travelling to Aidensfield, where they've been booked by Vernon to play at the villagers' Christmas concert, the Rio Trio offer a lift to a young girl, unaware she's a single mum taking her baby home to see her parents for the holiday. However, the first the band know about the infant is when the girl disappears, leaving them to look after it. Meanwhile, as the concert gets into full swing, local barmaid Gina takes centre stage, hoping to impress all and sundry with her rendition of Winter Wonderland.

Walker is forced to confront his past when he undertakes his own unofficial investigation into a series of violent robberies around Aidensfield. Helen has to come to terms with the fact that her marriage is probably over when Matthew's mistress appears in the village, and David finds himself involved in some shady behaviour.

A new sergeant arrives at Aidensfield police station, bringing plenty of radical ideas from his time in the city, much to the officers' disgust. When news gets out of his ambitious plans, which will leave Walker unemployed, Oscar decides to take a stand and rallies the troops.

Bellamy tries to impress Miller by going it alone, while the arrival of tax inspector Derek Ford gets the residents of Aidensfield panicked. Vernon bears the brunt of Ford's wrath when his dodgy dealings and poor record-keeping are exposed, convincing the wheeler dealer the only way to avoid trouble is to fake his own suicide.

A crime wave hits Ashfordly train station as a number of freight wagons mysteriously vanish, giving the police a tricky case to crack, but a sandwich could provide a vital clue. Peggy has plans to make some fast money when she decides to play dirty in the local bowls tournament, while a night out in Whitby proves eventful for Walker and Helen.

A witness of a hit and run is sure it was no accident and Peggy acquires some cheap cigarettes which are not what they seem.

Alf poses as a criminal as part of an undercover operation, but his covert actions only reveal startling information about Miller's ethical beliefs. David eyes up Peggy's room when she applies to be Lord Ashfordly's housekeeper but both are left disappointed when the interview is a complete failure.

A gang of elderly villains spot a chance for one last, glorious crime spree when the villagers leave Aidensfield en masse to support Rob in a charity football match. Peg finally gives David a bit of support when it turns out his jury duty is more trouble than he imagined.

When one of Helen's patients suddenly dies, she becomes involved in a suspected case of euthanasia, and the doctor's problems are compounded as she struggles to keep her relationship with Rob hidden. Peggy and David start a strawberry scam but Geoff Younger is confident of catching the culprits red-handed.

A priceless Manet painting is stolen from a retired German art dealer's home, leaving Miller to suspect Lord Ashfordly's involvement. Peggy tries to convince a pair of visiting bird-watchers that Aidensfield's wildlife includes a rare bird of prey, and David pretends to be an ornithological expert.

David helps his friend run away from home, but the handyman inadvertently leaves the young boy with a complete stranger. The Aidensfield Arms offers paintings as well as pints during an art exhibition, and Jack and Bernie take advantage of the artistic atmosphere in an ill-advised attempt to encourage Gina's creative ambitions. Elsewhere, Peggy has a go at dog training.

Matthew Trent makes an official complaint about Rob Walker, who stayed overnight at Helen's when he should have been on duty. A truck is involved in an accident after passing its MOT at Bernie's garage. Phil Bellamy is becoming increasingly smitten with Debbie.