Blaketon and Nick go after a criminal who thinks he's untouchable when a dim-witted local lad called David Stockwell reports an illegal badger digging ring in the woods and his mother is involved in a hit-and-run accident. Meanwhile, Greengrass' past cons against local shareholders serves as the source of aggravation when he and George buy shares in a racehorse. Elsewhere, Ventress is revising for his Sergeant's exam, and uses it as an excuse to get out of police work.

The tyrannical inspector Crossley arrives in Aidensfield and is not impressed when he discovers Nick and Kate are using the police house as a surgery, and Blaketon has taken leave to spent time with his son Graham before his trial. As Crossley introduces a new regime at Ashfordly station, the villagers head off to Whitby, where Gina secures a singing gig. However, tragedy strikes when Nick tries to help a lost little girl find her father. Meanwhile, Kate is left panicked about her future when Crossley demands that she closes the surgery at the house. Luckily, she receives a job offer from Dr James Radcliff - in Whitby. Elsewhere, two shady officers from the Inland Revenue show up in the village to seek payments for old debts from Greengrass, and if that wasn't enough for the scoundrel to worry about, his health suddenly takes a turn for the worst.