PC Bradley investigates a break-in at Agnes Moorcroft's guest house, but the only thing missing is the last page of entries in her guest book. Somebody seems to be very interested in her guests Sue Dixon and her daughter Tracey. Bradley thinks it may be her estranged husband, but the attractive Mrs. Dixon also has a big, dark secret in her life. The new health food shop in Ashfordly is desperate for goat's milk and Vernon Scripps is just the man to supply it. Business is booming and soon there are customers - and goats - all over Aidensfield. Especially goats. They turn out to be regular four-legged Harry Houdinis.

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 young mother Julie is neglecting her two daughters after she met her new boyfriend Brian, who is a real troublemaker, and PC Mason and Nurse Cassidy are concerned for the well-being of the children. Mason especially has it in for the children's officer Clive Eames, whom he thinks does too little to protect them. Somebody is stealing lead from the churches in the area. They even manage to get away before the "watchful" eyes of PC Younger - twice - and Sergeant Miller is far from pleased. Gina is still afraid that something will go wrong with her baby like it did with Daniel, her and Phil's first-born child. To top it all Phil's 18-year-old niece Dawn has got in with the rough crowd and her father asks Gina to take care of the girl for a while.