With no village bobby in Aidensfield Tommy Unsworth and his motor biking friends seizes the opportunity to make a lot of trouble in the village. Even Aunt Peggy is upset that the bikers are trespassing on Lord Ashfordly's land upsetting the natural order of things by frightening the game away and leaving her traps empty. But when it will take a while to get at permanent replacement Miller organizes a stop gap. Thus PC Joe Mason moves to Aidensfield on a temporary basis while he awaits his transfer to the Met. Mason is very resourceful and a bit of a maverick, and his senior officers were more than happy to get rid of him. The villagers are not too crazy about him either. But Unsworth is not the only source of trouble around. A professional gang from Manchester is targeting country houses in the area stealing paintings, antiques and jewelery.

The police had a tip-off and searches the home of Big Frank Batley. His wife Tina claims that one of the police officers has stolen 400 pounds during the search and the money is found in DS Dawson's car.Convinced of her innocence PC Mason risks his career in an attempt to prove it. A lady in another village has died and specifically requested that Bernie Scripps handles her funeral although there are other undertakers much closer to her home. He is shocked to find out that she was an old girlfriend of his and the love of his life - and that they have a daughter Bernie knew nothing about. She was adopted after her birth and Bernies asks Oscar Blaketon to help him find her.