As Mike begins his first assignment as a CID officer, his replacement, northerner Steve Crane, rides into Aidensfield to take on the role of village bobby, but Ventress thinks the youngster is too eager to prove his worth as he investigates a spate of farm break-ins, whilst Mike grows disillusioned with CID work when he takes on a surveillance operation involving the girlfriend of an armed robber. Meanwhile, Vernon tries to impress the new village doctor, Liz Merrick, with his community spirit when she attempts to prove herself to the late Tricia Summerbee's regular patients who are against the idea of a new doctor taking over.

In celebration of her forthcoming wedding, a bride-to-be embarks on her hen night at Whitby Funfair, where a clairvoyant gives her information linked to the death of her father, who went missing in action in the 1940s, prompting her to postpone the wedding until his body has been found. When she is found injured on the moors a few days later, Merton and the team investigate and find themselves incurring the wrath of the Ministry of Defence. Meanwhile, a bogus police officer begins causing havoc in Ashfordly. As Mike tries to lure the imposter into a trap, he is left with a dilemma when the troublemaker catches Bellamy filling in for Gina after hours at the pub.