Police Constable Nick Rowan moves from London to Aidensfield, North Riding, Yorkshire to be the new village bobby with his wife Kate, who was born and grew up in the area and hopes for a position with the local GP Dr. Ferrenby. Rowan soon starts to make himself known among the locals and gets his first case. A woman thinks she is being stalked and wants him to look into it. Furthermore there is trouble brewing between local boys on motorbikes and outside hooligans for him to deal with, and his new section sergeant, the old-fashioned Oscar Blaketon from the nearby Ashfordly police station whose lifelong ambition it is to see the local rascal Claude Jeremiah Greengrass behind bars, is giving him a hard time too.

Sergeant Merton gets a visit from his cousin singing star Deborah Vine. She likes Aidensfield so much she may even decide to settle down there. She is joined by her daughter Didi, an upcoming singer who has left her show because she is pregnant and does not want her father and manager Larry Prince to know. PC Bellamy spots the wanted criminal Scudamore while he is on patrol with PC Ventress. Scudamore is arrested, but manages to escape during transfer to Manchester. David gets a shock when he is supposed to unload Mr. Clough from his taxi and discovers that the old man has quietly passed away during the trip. Clough's daughter April needs a man (around her shop) after her father's death and takes an interest in David. Too much interest if you ask David.