List of The Bill characters (A-D)

This is a list of characters from the Police procedural British television series, The Bill. The fictional characters displayed here are ordered alphabetically by character surname. For a full list of current characters ordered by rank, see list of The Bill characters. The characters are all police officers or civil support staff operating from the fictional Sun Hill Police Station within the London borough of Canley, London.

A

Timothy Able

Timothy Able
First appearance	Make My Day (27/6/89)[1]
Last appearance	Something Special (1/3/90)
Portrayed by	Mark Haddigan
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

PC Timothy Able never settled in to life at Sun Hill. Born in Bromley, he was the youngest of three brothers, and had an ambition to be an auto mechanic. His mother worked in a sportswear shop, and his father as a train driver. While at Sun Hill, Able excelled at the physical side of the job, but struggled when the situation required him to take statements and conduct interviews. This was noticed by Inspector Christine Frazer, who later sent him to undergo additional training in both. At the recommendation of Sergeant Bob Cryer, who felt Able had no sense of purpose, Able felt he had little choice other than to resign.

June Ackland

June Ackland
First appearance	Woodentop (16/8/83)
Last appearance	Episode #489 (8/3/07)
Portrayed by	Trudie Goodwin
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	WPC / PC / SGT
Spouse(s)	Rod Jessop (2007-present)

Sergeant June Ackland was already part of the furniture at Sun Hill when the series began, and appeared to have been posted there for some considerable time. She is one of three officers to take new probationary constable Jim Carver under their wings on his first day, and show him the ropes.

Ackland says she joined the police to make a difference. It is later revealed that she had been raped in her teens and subsequently gave birth to a child. She later put the child up for adoption.

In 1990 June Ackland had an affair with DCI Gordon Wray. Although she said he was jumping the gun by expecting her to sleep with him on their first date and that she would only go for dinner, he didn't have to wait much beyond the dessert trolley. When Wray's wife found out, She told DAC Hicks and Wray was hastily transferred.

Ackland develops into a steadfast and dependable officer, who is firm in her belief that there is little difference between a male and female officer, once remarking that the 'W' prefix in 'WPC' meant nothing because they were all police constables whether male or female. She is an instinctive copper and can get on easily with people from different walks of life. She is a natural leader and is respected by her colleagues and superiors; however she does underestimate herself.

In 1995, Ackland finds herself at the centre of a murder attempt on her life. Her flat is broken into set on fire and her cat killed, while an investigation into her own actions leads to some in the police station ostracising her. In the end, she no longer knows exactly who are her friends and who are merely pretending to be. She is also nearly killed during this period, but DS Jo Morgan was killed instead.

June is promoted to the rank of Sergeant after being a constable for many years. A party thrown in her honour by PC Dave Quinnan is ruined by her handbag being stolen by a dodgy taxi driver and she misses out on the meal in her honour. There are few at Sun Hill who do not believe her promotion is fully justified.

Her time as Sergeant becomes more and more linked with Jim Carver. Carver has been a Detective Constable with C.I.D. for many years, but finds himself moved back to uniform under the rules governing tenure at the time, no-one is allowed to remain in a single position for more than ten years without having been approved for promotion.

Carver takes the move personally, and as his Sergeant it is up to Ackland to remind him that he was not part of C.I.D. anymore. Uniform requires a team approach, and Carver's attempts to remain a 'lone ranger' are not acceptable. Ackland reminds him of his first day on the beat back in 1983, when she asked him if he would ever want to join the detective branch: his response, she reminds him, is that he had no interest and that uniform division was where he wanted to be.

Despite her attempts, Carver begins drinking heavily. After a stint in rehab he returns to the station sober, but shaky. Ackland finds herself becoming Jim's guiding light, the one thing that keeps him on the straight and narrow. One day during a riot situation he recklessly and against orders charges into a warehouse where June is being held hostage by a group of youths. The thought that she may come to harm leads him to nearly throttle the young offender.

June and Jim continue to grow closer. Sharing a kiss, they realise that they have taken it too far and chose not to follow up. When June becomes the operational head of the new C.S.U. division at Sun Hill, Jim is quick to be transferred over. Although they keep their feelings bottled up, they support each other. June is officially Jim's lifeline.

She is shattered when, in 2003 he marries Marie Graham. All her feelings explode to the surface, leading to a vote of no confidence in her professionalism and her removal as head of C.S.U. back to uniform branch. The job of Head of C.S.U. is given to DS Ramani DeCosta, who is promoted from DC to DS. June watches silently as it becomes clear that Jim is being abused by his new wife. She does not need to read between the lines when she finds him in hospital with head injuries, which he claims he got from putting up some shelves that fell down on him. He later divorced Marie.

A year later, June becomes Jim's second wife. They marry twenty one years to the day after they first met. Feeling that she is now financially secure, she retires from the force, but is soon forced to return to her old job after six months because Jim's alcohol addiction is replaced with a gambling addiction. He takes the deed to their house and uses it as collateral in an attempt to repay his own debts. Jim realises that June cannot live her life while he is dragging her down, Jim is transferred. His departure leaves her shaken.

After Jim leaves, June faces several tribulations. Meeting the son she put up for adoption many years before, leaves her uncertain of herself, but ultimately leads to her reformation as a person.

One thing in which June has not been successful is love. Apart from her association with Jim Carver, she often finds herself on the wrong side of relationships.

After the end of her relationship with Jim, June falls for PC Gabriel Kent who is later revealed to be the adoptive brother of the son she gave up for adoption. Kent strings her along by making love to her then claiming to actually be her son, before revealing the truth and using his power over her to get her to cover up for some of his crimes.

Earlier in her life, she gained a reputation, by her own admission, of being "spinster June", the woman who would never be found in a relationship with a man. She has a rocky on-off relationship with PC Dave Litten, which ends after he puts his own career above her. She is 'the other woman' in an affair with DCI Gordon Wray, an affair which leads to him being expelled from Sun Hill after only a couple of months.

After many failed relationship, June falls in love with school headmaster, Rod Jessop, who she agrees to marry and move to the Cotswolds with. June announces her retirement, but is shocked when ex-husband and former colleague, Jim Carver returns to Sun Hill.

Jim reveals that he has been in Manchester and has been promoted to Detective Sergeant. Carver is following notorious drug dealer, Pat Hadley, who had recently escaped Carver's arrest and come down south to London, where he is suspected of orchestrating another deal. June tries to avoid Jim as best she can, but her attempts fail when she is paired with him to observe Hadley's movements. Later, things go terribly wrong when both are held at gunpoint by Hadley and his confused sidekick, Greg. When Hadley is about to drive off with some money, a handcuffed June convinces Greg that Hadley is not to be trusted. Greg and Hadley have a row, which results in Hadley hitting Greg over the head with a gun, knocking him out for a short time. Hadley taunts them with the gun, ready to shoot any one of them. By this time, DCI Jack Meadows and his team track Hadley down and are waiting to arrest him. While Hadley is investigating a noise, a tied up Greg manages to give Carver a the key to the handcuffs to release them. A struggle ensues between Carver, Hadley and Ackland. Carver punches Hadley and Hadley is arrested.

June returns to Sun Hill and is called to the DCI's office, where she is pleasantly surprised with an unexpected leaving do. After saying her goodbyes to fellow officers, including long-serving DCI Meadows, PC Reg Hollis and PC Tony Stamp, Carver tells her that he still loves her and he has the money he owes her, he also questions her love for Rod. June tells him that she loves him, but that they are not right for each other, she kisses him saying goodbye and goes back to Rod. June tells Rod that she cannot handle saying goodbye to all her friends and they make a swift move out of the station, as June holds Rod's hand, she looks back at the station, smiling. June is considered to be one of the very best officers Sun Hill has ever seen on the show.

Sally Armstrong

Sally Armstrong
First appearance	Cop Killer Part 1 (5/7/07)
Last appearance	Unforgiven (17/12/09)
Portrayed by	Ali Bastian
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

Sun Hill is PC Sally Armstrong's second posting, after completing her probationary period and being transferred from Harringay. She previously had a desk job at a telemarketing firm but realised it was not for her. She joined the police force because she wanted a physically demanding job that would also give her a challenge in life and a good salary. She soon realised that being a police officer was her ideal job.

Sally arrives at Sun Hill on the same day as probationer PC Billy Rowan. Whilst investigating a break-in with Billy, Sgt. Nikki Wright, and PC Emma Keane, she and Emma worry that they cannot contact Billy or Nikki, so they call for backup. After backup arrives it is discovered that Billy's throat had been slashed. Sally is traumatised but assures Inspector Gina Gold that she will be back at work the next day. Sally becomes good friends with PC Keane.

Sadly for Sally, Emma dies in an explosion, but as a hero because she saves the lives of many others. This left Sally devastated. Sgt Stone tried to save Emma by giving her CPR, but she was already dead. Sgt Stone felt he was responsible because while he was preoccupied with something else, he allowed Emma to walk off on her own into harm's way.

Sally left Sun Hill without explanation in December 2009.

Luke Ashton

Luke Ashton
First appearance	Detained (12/9/96)
Last appearance	Episode #122 (18/6/03)
Portrayed by	Scott Neal
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

PC Luke Ashton was portrayed by Scott Neal from 1996-2003. Luke left Sun Hill in 1999 after accusations of cowardice from PC Dale Smith. He returned in 2002 and fell for fellow officer Kerry Young. As their romance built they decided to get married. It is revealed that Luke is secretly gay and trying to keep this a secret from the rest of the officers. While at Sun Hill, he shares a kiss with Craig Gilmore in his office and the day before he is due to marry Kerry he ends up in bed with Craig. On the morning of the wedding, the two men are lying in bed together, while the wedding guests are waiting. Gina Gold goes looking for Luke and walks in on the two men. After the relief finds out he is gay Luke requests a transfer and leaves the station.

B

Tom Baker

Tom Baker
First appearance	(unknown)
Last appearance	(unknown)
Portrayed by	Vic Gallucci
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Constable

Jacob Banks

Jacob "Banksy" Banks
First appearance	R.I.P P.I. (23/4/08)
Last appearance	Respect: Part 2 (31/08/2010)
Portrayed by	Patrick Robinson
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Constable
Spouse(s)	Naomi Woods

DC Jacob Banks is known as Banksy – he’s a cop on a mission: after changing careers in his mid-30s, he’s got lots to catch up with, starting so late in the police service.

Banksy has done two years on the beat after training at Hendon and has been an DC at another nick for a year. He’s not highly motivated, but he’s a good copper with great interpersonal skills – he could make DI in a couple of years.

He’s married to Naomi who’s a high-flying barrister. She's very ambitious in her career and as a consequence doesn’t spend much time at home.

Formerly a teacher, Bansky knows how to handle people – he’s just as comfortable talking to a bank manager as he is talking to a kid on the street. The years in the classroom have made him an expert on body language: he can sniff out a liar and a bully a mile off.

Ian Barratt

Ian Barrat
First appearance	Episode #329 (21/7/05)
Last appearance	Episode #361 (3/11/05)
Portrayed by	John McArdle
Information
Title	Borough Commander unril late 2005
Spouse(s)	Rochelle Barratt

'Chief Superintendent Ian Barratt was a character in The Bill in 2005. He was played by John McArdle. He was the Borough Commander of Canley and was married to Drugs Referral Officer Rochelle Barratt; who had and affair with PC Dan Casper. Ian found out and consequently tried to blackmail Dan- anonymously- to stop the affair. After a hostage situation where Dan was held at gunpoint because Ian ran out and left dan there. After which, Rochelle choose to start again with Ian and they both left the station.

Rochelle Barratt

Rochelle Barratt
First appearance	Episode #315 (2/6/05)
Last appearance	Episode #361 (3/11/05)
Portrayed by	Anna Acton
Information
Title	Drug referral officer
Spouse(s)	Ian Barratt

While working at Sun Hill, Drugs Referral Officer Rochelle Barratt begins an affair with Dan Casper. When her husband Ian finds out, he gives her an ultimatum to either stay with Dan or leave with him. She chooses to leave Sun Hill and attempt to repair her marriage.

Don Beech

Don Beech
First appearance	Expert Witness (3/2/95)
Last appearance	Episode #216 (20/05/04)
Portrayed by	Billy Murray
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Sergeant

Detective Sergeant Don Beech was considered to be one of the most corrupt officers in the show's history, prompting the Don Beech scandal. His first appearance in The Bill was in 1995 and after 5 years of corruption, culminating in him unintentionally killing DS John Boulton in a fight, he fled in 2000 when his crimes were exposed. After his departure, his story continued in the special episode Beech on the Run in 2001. The episode followed Don Beech as he fled abroad to Australia to escape imprisonment. At the end of the episode Don Beech was supposedly killed off in an explosion.

Later that year he returned in a spin-off mini-series titled Beech is Back where it was revealed he had faked his death so he could secretly return to Britain. He then organised a robbery of a six million pound diamond to escape the country but his attempt failed when ex-CID officer Claire Stanton found him and brought him to justice. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crimes he committed during his time in the police force, and while on the run in Australia.

In 2004 he was seen again in prison, where he offered information on police corruption in exchange for a transfer to a lower security prison. However, he escaped during the transfer and was never heard from again.^[2]

Juliet Becker

Juliet Becker
First appearance	Episode #119 (5/6/03)
Last appearance	Episode #162 (30/10/03)
Portrayed by	Rae Baker
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Constable

Owning a motorbike and openly bisexual (the first character to be identified with that orientation), Detective Constable Juliet Becker is revealed to be having an affair with a married woman, whose husband reacts violently upon finding out. Juliet eventually begins a relationship with fellow officer Debbie McAllister, following the disastrous events of McAllister's marriage to the corrupt Tom Chandler.

In her final appearance on the series, Juliet is taken hostage by a drunk named Mark Nevett and held in the back of a police van. Despite the best efforts of the Sun Hill team to rescue her, she was fatally stabbed and later died in hospital.

Gary Best

Gary Best
First appearance	Episode #020 (25/6/02)
Last appearance	Episode #328 (20/7/05)
Portrayed by	Ciaran Griffiths
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Constable

Detective Constable Gary Best is portrayed lacking in intelligence but he makes up for this with enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. A cocky lad from Manchester, there are a variety of reasons which inspired Gary to join the police force, mainly the fact that if he was not in uniform, he would most likely be on remand. Gary also had a troubled upbringing, consisting of domestic violence from his father, something that only stopped when Gary reached the physical maturity to be able to hit his dad back. In his late teen years, Gary made the decision to report his dad to the police, a decision which ultimately divided his family and rendered Gary an outcast.^[2] Shortly afterwards, he decided to join the Metropolitan Police.

Gary Best arrived at Sun Hill shortly after the events of The Sun Hill Fire. At the time he is a probationary police constable, being puppy-walked by the veteran PC Tony Stamp. Gary is a popular recruit to Sun Hill, and he has no problems fitting in or making friends. His weakness is thinking with his heart, never having been one to stand back and assess a situation, Gary has a tendency to rush into things.^[2]

When his father is released from prison, he tracks down Gary and attempts to bond with his son, and make amends for what he had done. Initially pushing him away, curiosity eventually gets the better of him, and he heads to his father's workplace to talk to him. Unfortunately, his father had been operating as an undercover snitch for Inspector Gold at the time, and by turning up in full uniform, Gary compromises the whole job. Gary's father volunteers to go in his son's place as a hostage, at which point he is forced into a van at gunpoint and driven away. This is the last time Gary sees his father alive, as he is found dead shortly after.

After a successful undercover operation in which he had informed on his criminal brother, Gary is accepted as a DC. Still fresh from probation and still 'wet behind the ears', some of Gary's colleagues, old and new, find things a bit hard to swallow. It is clear that Gary immediately lets his new-found power go to his head, jumping through hoops in an attempt to impress his senior officers and get a good result, with several directed jokes at uniform about directing traffic. He is more than often paired with DC Suzie Sim, who treats him much like a schoolboy. He sees her behaviour as bullying, and after an outburst directed at her in front of all of CID, his popularity severely deteriorates. He also works with DC Jo Masters and the two become close but often says what she thinks about him and the way he does things. When Gary transfers, Jo tells him she will miss him and to take care.

Shortly after his allegations, Gary finds himself working with DC Suzie Sim on a drugs operation, which gets out of hand when the criminals are revealed to have handguns. Attempting to protect his colleague, Gary is shot and nearly paralysed. He is reunited with his estranged mother in hospital. She encourages him to leave Sun Hill and transfer to Greater Manchester Police, where he can be with his family.

Jamila Blake

Jamila Blake
First appearance	The Right Thing (31/12/96)
Last appearance	The Wrong Horse (28/1/99)
Portrayed by	Lolita Chakrabarti
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

Police Constable Jamila Blake, portrayed by Lolita Chakrabarti between 1996 and 1999, arrived at Sun Hill on New Years Eve 1996/97. She served just over two years at the station before she left in January 1999.

Adam Bostock

Adam Bostock
First appearance	No Job For An Amateur (18/1/94)
Last appearance	Instant Response (6/9/94)
Portrayed by	Carl Brincat
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

After only nine months at Sun Hill, PC Adam Bostock realises he cannot hack it at as a police officer and leaves Sun Hill.

John Boulton

John Boulton
First appearance	Saved (2/11/95)
Last appearance	Find The Lady (17/10/00)
Portrayed by	Russell Boulter
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Sergeant

DS John Boulton was neither a corrupt officer nor a strictly honest one; he was not averse to cutting corners in order to get a result and arrest a criminal. He was unpopular with his colleagues due to his arrogant attitude and constant desire for promotion. He was especially disliked around the time of the Dave Quinnan stabbing as many officers held John responsible for putting Dave in that position. John was also suspected of killing a suspect while chasing him; he was cleared of this but then told one of his colleagues "there's no smoke without fire". A more sympathetic side of John was shown when he had an HIV scare after being spiked by a suspect's needle. DCI Jack Meadows supported John through this ordeal.

John embarked on a relationship with DS Claire Stanton, unaware that she was an anti-corruption officer investigating the officers at Sun Hill. Her main target was John's best friend DS Don Beech. After being backed into a corner by Claire, Don decided to come clean to John after arranging to meet him one night. However John did not take the news of Don's corruption well and attacked him. Don then accidentally killed John by banging his head against the pavement. John's body was discovered by some of his colleagues, however only Claire and Don seemed upset about his death. Claire eventually managed to convict Don for John's murder and was seen sitting by John's grave in her final episode.

John was known, affectionately, as "the little ginger short arse" (LGSA) to fans due to a suspect once calling him this in an interview.

Matthew Boyden

Matthew Boyden
First appearance	Balls in the Air (10/10/91)
Last appearance	Episode #111 (1/5/03)
Portrayed by	Tony O'Callaghan
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Spouse(s)	Sophie Boyden

Sgt Matthew Boyden is an extremely disciplined, charismatic and competent officer, known for his dry London wit, who is elevated to the position of Sergeant at the age of 30;^[3] however his womanising ways prevent him from advancing any further through the ranks, although he is, for a period, promoted to Acting Inspector after The Sun Hill Fire. Boyden initially arrives at Sun Hill after an indiscretion with a WPC. Despite nearly losing his job, his extramarital affairs continue, ultimately costing him his marriage whilst his daughter Amy becomes increasingly estranged from him and he sees even less of his growing grandchild Sophie.

Boyden later develops a previously unknown homophobic streak, struggling to work comfortably alongside Sgt. Gilmore.

Towards the end of his career at Sun Hill, Boyden is at the centre of one of the most controversial storylines in the show when he sleeps with DI Samantha Nixon's daughter, Abi, who was only 15 years old, and therefore below the age of consent. A few years earlier he had been involved in a similar incident with a girl of the same age, although he only discovered her true age after the event. The girl later committed suicide.

Boyden is later murdered by his own daughter. Anxious to fund her drug addiction, Amy Boyden orders her boyfriend to shoot her father so she can profit from his insurance money. Boyden later dies in a drive-by shooting incident. Former Sun Hill Sgt, Bob Cryer who served with Matt and another long serving Sgt, June Ackland for 13 years attended Matt's funeral and gave a speech at his wake.

Matt Boyden's murder was the first case in the short-lived Bill spinoff series MIT: Murder Investigation Team

Cathy Bradford

Cathy Bradford
First appearance	Set in Stone (31/1/02)
Last appearance	Episode #184 (15/1/04)
Portrayed by	Connie Hyde
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

PC Cathy Bradford was initially posted as a probationer in Leeds, but it was not long before she jumped at the opportunity to join the Hong Kong police where she quickly attained the rank of Inspector. Following her return to the UK she takes a place at Sun Hill, determined to achieve her goals, one of which is to regain her rank of Inspector. Her ambitions lead her to manipulate people and situations in order to get what she wants. Despite fooling several colleagues she is eventually forced to leave both Sun Hill and the police force after she is arrested for several crimes including abduction. During this time she becomes increasingly deranged and is eventually sectioned and thus found unfit to stand trial. She was only sectioned after she had killed Brandon's wife and her fiancé, assaulted Robbie, kidnapped Brandon's children, and framed Polly.

Claire Brind

Claire Brind
First appearance	Trespasses (6/9/88)
Last appearance	Saturday Night Fever (28/12/89)
Portrayed by	Kelly Lawrence
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

PC Claire Brind was played by Kelly Lawrence from 1988-1989. She arrived at Sun Hill as a probationary officer and left a little over a year later. She is the daughter of a former Detective Inspector, but shows little aptitude or enthusiasm for the job.^[4]

Millie Brown

Millie Brown
First appearance	New Blood (12/6/08)
Last appearance	On the Streets (29/12/09)
Portrayed by	Clare Foster
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	PC

Millie Brown is played by Clare Foster who debuted in the role in June 2008. Millie (Amelia) comes across as a bit of a scatter-brain. She assembles order to her life and the whirl of thoughts in her mind with lists and meticulous note taking. Chaos makes her anxious, so Millie always strives to be organised. With four years experience under her belt, she enjoys the structure of the police service. If she wasn’t a federation representative in the Met, Millie would have been a health and safety advisor. No rule is too big to be ignored. She will always proceed with caution. Millie is at times, too self-conscious to speak up. When she does, however, her views are usually well thought out and helpful in solving cases.^[5]

Millie left Sun Hill without explanation in December 2009.

Charles Brownlow

Charles Brownlow
First appearance	Funny Ol' Business - Cops and Robbers (16/10/84)
Last appearance	All Fall Down (Part 1) (27/10/00)
Portrayed by	Peter Ellis
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Chief Superintendent

Chief Superintendent Charles Brownlow is considered the most passive of the bosses The Bill has had. He preferred to leave responsibility and most of the decisions in the hands of his fellow senior officers Chief Inspector Derek Conway and DCI Jack Meadows. He prefers spin over substance. One of his most noted empty gestures is when he decides to eat with the other officers to prove he is on the same level as them. This embarrasses most of the force but he refuses to accept it as a disaster.

He hides behind his secretary and the rules and regulations of the job. He is heavily involved in the Masonic Lodge. This is a recurring theme in the series with Conway benefiting from membership of the Lodge.^[6]

For all his faults though, Brownlow is a fundamentally decent man with a conscience and he earns a lot of sympathy when he feels obliged to resign from his post in the wake of the Don Beech Scandal. He later returns for a station funeral. He is succeeded by Supt. Tom Chandler.

Laura Bryant

Laura Bryant
First appearance	Episode #278 (13/1/05)
Last appearance	Episode #415 (25/05/06)
Portrayed by	Melanie Kilburn
Information
Occupation	Police Community Support Officer / Police Constable
Title	Police Community Support Officer / Police Constable

PC Laura Bryant first appears on The Bill as a resident of the Cole Lane estate which, at that time, is being patrolled by PC Gabriel Kent. She is unhappy with Kent's tendency to ignore protocol and issue his own brand of justice and subsequently reports him to the Criminal Investigations Department.^[2]

She applies for a position at Sun Hill as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) and her potential to become a police constable is then recognised by Sergeant Dale Smith. Despite several mistakes and lapses in judgement, Smith encourages her to consider training at Hendon to become a full time police officer. Eventually she chooses to undertake the training and returns to Sun Hill as a PC, where she soon realises that the job is causing her to neglect her relationship with her two sons. Inspector Gold insists that she continue being a police officer instead of resigning and transfer to a unit at Barton Street where her hours will better suit her being a single parent. She puts in for a transfer from Sun Hill to Barton Street.

Frank Burnside

Frank Burnside
First appearance	Funny Ol' Business - Cops And Robbers (16/10/1984)
Last appearance	Thug on the Tyne Part 2 (13/1/2000)
Portrayed by	Christopher Ellison
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Chief Inspector / Call Sign, SO 55

DCI Burnside first appeared in the first episode of The Bill (after the pilot), "Funny Ol' Business - Cops and Robbers", broadcast on 16 October 1984, as a guest character from the Flying Squad, then a DS. He is a former colleague of Sergeant Bob Cryer who makes no secret of his dislike of Burnside. Burnside is thought to have slipped through the net of Operation Countryman, the Met's anti-corruption drive in the 1970s, and revels in his notoriety. When PC Jim Carver arrests a small-time car thief, Burnside arrives at Sun Hill to appeal for the man's release. Cryer is appalled at the suggestion, and urges DI Roy Galloway to block the request. However, Burnside explains that the prisoner is a valuable police informant, and manages to persuade DI Galloway to secure his release. The incident creates much ill-feeling within the station, particularly among Sgt Cryer and PC Carver.

DS Burnside reappears twice more in the episodes "Ringer" and "The Chief Superintendent's Party". By this time, his apparent villainy is an open secret at the station, and few are pleased to see him, least of all Sgt Cryer and DI Galloway. However, DS Burnside is indifferent to their hostility, and sets his sights on WPC June Ackland. Burnside is too thick-skinned to sense her obvious repulsion towards him, and June takes great delight in stringing him along. However, other Sun Hill officers take exception to his pursuit of her, prompting DC Mike Dashwood to intervene. He informs Burnside that June is Galloway's mistress, forcing the rogue detective to switch his sights elsewhere.

He was called "Tommy" when in series one and two, but when he appeared as a regular character from 1988 onward his first name was changed to "Frank" as there was a real-life "Tommy Burnside" serving in the Metropolitan Police at the time.

By 1988, The Bill had switched to a twice-weekly half-hour format, with significant cast changes. Galloway's departure from the series creates a vacancy for a new DI, and the first half-hour episode, "Light Duties", sees officers taking bets on who the new incumbent will be. DS Ted Roach has his own sights set on the job, and is appalled to learn that DS Burnside is a rival candidate. When Burnside takes the post in the episode "Just Call Me Guv'nor", DS Roach and Sgt Cryer are outspoken in their views on the appointment of an apparently corrupt officer.

It soon becomes clear that DI Frank Burnside is far removed from his previous incarnation. Besides a new rank and Christian name, Burnside acquires a new outlook. The sneering wide-boy of the hour-long shows is replaced with a darker and more authoritative character. His apparent corruption is explained away by Inspector Christine Frazer as a result of Burnside having worked undercover on Operation Countryman, forcing Sgt Bob Cryer to swallow his pride and welcome DI Burnside to Sun Hill. However, DS Ted Roach is far harder to win round.

Despite their similarities, both having maverick tendencies, but ultimately on the right side of the law, DI Burnside and DS Roach have an uneasy working relationship. Roach's increasing bitterness at having been passed over for promotion, coupled with a thinly-disguised drink problem, make him almost unmanageable for his senior officers. When matched with DI Burnside's explosive personality, the two officers physically come to blows. However, their similar policing styles and views lead to them developing a mutual respect. As the police force becomes more politically correct, maverick officers such as DI Burnside and DS Roach are increasingly seen as a dying breed. As such, their working relationship becomes one of mutual dependency, each watching the other's back when either of them sail too close to the wind. When DS Roach walks out of the job following an assault on Inspector Monroe, DCI Jack Meadows caustically remarks that it is "the end of an era for DI Frank Burnside."

Meadows' prophecy is proven right later when DI Burnside mysteriously fails to show for work. It is explained that Burnside has been taken out on a "special operation", prompting his colleagues to speculate that he is working undercover. As the years go by, a succession of DIs take Burnside's office.

In 1998, The Bill returned to the hour-long format. In October of that year, DI Burnside returned to the series in a two-part story, "Cast No Shadow" and "Betrayal". The story follows an investigation led by DS John Boulton and DC Jim Carver into a protection racket, which leads them to Manchester. Carver is shocked to discover that his former boss is one of the main players in the operation, and he and Boulton are forced to take DI Burnside back to Sun Hill in handcuffs. Meadows is openly hostile towards his former colleague but, reminiscent of Sgt Bob Cryer ten years earlier, he is forced to backtrack when it emerges that DI Burnside is working undercover. Furthermore, Burnside had been promoted to the rank of DCI within the field, and is now on an equal footing with Meadows.

DCI Burnside then appears semi-regularly in The Bill. He is now head of the elite Crime Operational Command Unit, and his work frequently brings him into contact with Sun Hill officers, investigating high profile cases. One such investigation leads to him arresting DC Jim Carver on suspicion of murder. Despite their rocky start, DCI Burnside took the impressionable young DC Carver under his wing during his reign as DI, and is sorry to see his friend's sad fall from grace. Carver begins drinking heavily following his enforced move back to uniform, marking a steep decline into alcoholism. When he wakes from a drunken stupor to find a murdered prostitute beside him, it seems Carver's career is over. However, DCI Burnside manages to solve the murder, and urges Carver to seek help for his addiction.

DCI Burnside is the principal character in the episodes in which he appears, and the popularity of these episodes paved the way for a spin-off series, Burnside. The six-part series, three consecutive two-part stories, follows Burnside's new role as a DCI with the National Crime Squad, described in the show's publicity as the English equivalent of the FBI. The series is much grittier than The Bill, as its post-watershed timeslot enabled stronger language and more violent scenes. Although each two-part story focuses on a different crime, the series is underpinned by a story arc, which explores DCI Burnside's pursuit of gangland boss Ronnie Buchan. Buchan had murdered Burnside's best friend years earlier, and Burnside is determined to use his newfound influence as head of a team within the NCS to bring Buchan to justice. The series ended with Burnside vowing to nail Buchan by whatever means necessary.

Despite the popularity of DCI Burnside's character in The Bill, his spin-off failed to take off, and was axed after just one series.

Ruby Buxton

Ruby Buxton
First appearance	Episode 062 (14/11/02)
Last appearance	Episode 143 (28/08/03)
Portrayed by	Nicola Alexis
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

PC Ruby Buxton arrives at Sun Hill as a probationary officer, where she gets mixed up in a perjury scandal with fellow officer PC Gabriel Kent. She finds that having been involved in the scandal she cannot continue her work as a police officer and decides to resign from both Sun Hill and the force.

C

Max Carter

Max Carter
First appearance	Assault On Sun Hill (Part 1) (27/12/07)
Last appearance	Respect Part Two (31/08/10)
Portrayed by	Christopher Fox
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Sergeant former C019 Officer

Detective Sergeant Max Carter transferred to Sun Hill from CO19. DI Samantha Nixon was expecting a new DS about as much as DC Terry Perkins was. Terry was called into her office and partnered with Max. It was revealed recently that he is half Polish as his mother is Polish, and he speaks the language fluently.

Max transferred from CO19 after being involved in two separate lethal shootings of suspects.One of the shootings was Thomas Jankowski. Although both were justified killings, it was deemed sensible to transfer him out given current media attention to armed response incidents. As the move was accompanied by a promotion to DS, the career-minded Max was happy with the change of scene.

He often has run ins with other colleagues particularly DC Terry Perkins and DC Grace Dasari. After an undercover operation with DC Mickey Webb in 2010, where the officers were forced to take cocaine to keep their cover, Max became a drugs addict, frequently taking it and having recently been seen forking over large amounts of money to cocaine dealers. His addiction was discovered by Mickey, who informed Sergeant Jo Masters and Terry. Terry then gave Max an ultimatum: turn himself in to DI Neil Manson, or allow Perkins to arrest him for possession, thus ending his career. Max chose neither.

Jim Carver

James Michael Carver
First appearance	Woodentop (16/8/83)
Last appearance	Episode #289a (24/02/05)
Portrayed by	Mark Wingett
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	PC / DC / DS
Spouse(s)	Marie Graham (divorced: 2003) June Ackland (divorced: 2004-2005)

Police Constable / Detective Constable / Detective Sergeant - James Michael "Jim" Carver began his career as a probationer at Sun Hill, appearing in the pilot episode, Woodentop. He had already made up his mind that he was going to remain a uniformed police officer for the remainder of his career and was adamant that he was not destined for CID.^[2]

Despite his vow not to transfer to CID, Jim later becomes a Detective Constable,^[2] where DI Frank Burnside becomes a mentor for him. He remains in CID for 12 years when he is demoted back to uniform having never been recommended for promotion. His career then goes into decline, due mainly to his increased dependency on alcohol. His alcoholism almost costs him his job, but he is able to transfer back into uniform after rehabilitation, where he begins to rebuild his reputation. Carver then joins the Community Safety Unit, where he really tries to make a go of it; he later returns to CID as a DC.

Carver's first marriage is to Marie Graham, a victim of crime who he had liaised with at one point. This marriage fails, however, when Marie also turns out to be an alcoholic and physically abuses Jim. The two divorce and she is later sectioned.

June Ackland, who also appears in "Woodentop" as a WPC, had been a close friend of Carver's and they had a relationship before his marriage to Marie. After the divorce they are able to get closer again and eventually they marry. Despite staying sober after his rehabilitation, Carver adopts a gambling addiction. He accrues massive debts and eventually leaves Sun Hill, leaving June to come out of retirement to repay the debts.^[2]

Jim Carver later returns to Sun Hill and it is revealed that he had been sent by Greater Manchester Police to track down and arrest a suspect that had come to Sun Hill to escape the law.^[2] Carver returns as a Detective Sergeant, having been promoted from Detective Constable.

Whilst tracking the suspect down, both June and Jim are kidnapped, although the staff at Sun Hill are able to locate them and send in armed support to rescue them and arrest their kidnapper, Pat Hadly.

The first words in Woodentop, spoken by Mark Wingett as Carver were "Okay Carver, let's do it" as he got out of bed. They were also the final words spoken by the character when he left the series in 2005.

Dan Casper

Dan Casper
First appearance	Episode #298 (30/3/05)
Last appearance	Deadly Secrets (16/8/07)
Portrayed by	Chris Jarvis
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable
Spouse(s)	None

Prior to joining the police, PC Dan Casper was a ticket inspector on the London Underground. He is an active and energetic character who views the world in black and white, good versus bad. Although he had not done his probation at Sun Hill he was transferred to the station rather quickly after his request for a transfer away from Spicer Street. A conflict of interests with his superior officer meant that the transfer went through without much difficulty.

His best friend at Sun Hill is Will Fletcher, with whom he is regularly paired on police duties, particularly in the area car, which Will's advanced driver training qualifies him to drive.

While at Sun Hill, Inspector Gina Gold forces him and Will to take part in a boxing competition between Sun Hill and other stations. Although Will already boxes in his spare time, Dan is nervous because it is something he has not done before and he does not think he can do it. When Will injures his hand and is unable to compete, Dan faces the ring on his own and "The Sun Hill Hurricane" surprises himself by winning.

However, as he progresses in the tournament his nerves grow and after injuring his shoulder he persuades Ewan, a friend of Will's and fellow boxer, to help him purchase some steroids. As Dan faces more and more matches he begins to rely on the steroids more often. Even when Will finds out and tries to convince him to stop, he continues until he completely loses it in one of his matches and knocks his opponent unconscious. Although it is revealed that the other man had a heart condition and should not have been boxing, Dan feels guilty and tells the Inspector about the steroids. She orders him to withdraw from the tournament and tells him that he is not fit for active duty whilst using the drugs.

Dan did his training at Hendon, like all other trainee officers in the area. Here, he also undertook a response driving course, which he and PC Leela Kapoor passed. After completing his training he served his two years probation at Spicer Street.

Dan decides to leave the police force after receiving a job offer from a friend who is opening a club in San Antonio, Ibiza and wants him to manage security there. Dan feels that he is being passed up for training opportunities and does not want to remain a PC for the rest of his service, so decides to resign much to the dismay and disapproval of his colleagues, particularly Will Fletcher, whom he is very close to, although Will is happy for him at the time.

Philip Cato

Phillip Cato
First appearance	Shock To The System (26/1/93)
Last appearance	Is That The Time? (3/3/95)
Portrayed by	Philip Whitchurch
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Chief Inspector

After serving at Sun Hill from two years, Chief inspector Philip Cato decides to leave the police force after being continually passed over for promotion in favour of other officers, including Chief Inspector Derek Conway for the position of Acting Superintendent.

Marilyn Chambers

Marilyn Chambers
First appearance	Episode #158 (15/10/03)
Last appearance	Episode #289 (24/2/05)
Portrayed by	Vickie Gates
Information
Occupation	Civilian Police Staff
Title	Station Reception Officer (SRO)

Station Reception Officer Marilyn Chambers joined the staff of Sun Hill as the resident SRO. She is DC Ken Drummond's ally and SRO Julian Tavell's best friend. While working at the station she began a relationship with PC Reg Hollis and the two planned to get married, but she is later killed in The Sun Hill Fire (2005).

Tom Chandler

Thomas Wiliam Chandler
First appearance	On The Hook (Part 1) (3/11/00)
Last appearance	Episode #53 (16/10/02)
Portrayed by	Steven Hartley
Information
Title	Superintendent / SO 52
Spouse(s)	Debbie McAllister (dissolved by his death: 2002)
Children	Andrew McAllister (son, with Debbie: born 2002)

Superintendent Tom Chandler is brought in as a "new broom" to "sweep away the cobwebs of corruption" after the Don Beech Scandal and the subsequent removal of nearly the entire CID team and his predecessor.

During his two years as Superintendent, Chandler proves to be one of the most corrupt bosses the station has ever had. He removes various members of the team he personally dislikes, including Sergeant Bob Cryer and PC Dale Smith. One of the people that Chandler cannot remove is the officer just beneath him in the chain of command: DCI Jack Meadows. Meadows, as DS Don Beech's boss, is directly in the firing line along with DI Chris Deakin and Chief Superintendent Brownlow. However unlike the other two men, Meadows survives, thanks to his connections with Scotland Yard.

Chandler tries to bring him down, but Meadows fights back with the help of DC Mickey Webb and starts to uncover scandals about his boss including an allegation of rape. Ultimately facing imprisonment, humiliation and ruin, Chandler realises he has no alternative but to take his own life. He shoots himself in Meadows' office, leaving behind his wife, DS Debbie McAllister, and their son, who was conceived during a liaison in the restroom at a funeral.

Roz Clarke

Roz Clarke
First appearance	First Impressions (Part 1) (19/9/00)
Last appearance	Slash and Burn (11/12/01)
Portrayed by	Holly Davidson
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

PC Roz Clarke was played by Holly Davidson from 2000-2001. While serving at Sun Hill, an undercover operation gets messy and possible charges are brought against her she decides she is not cut out to be a police officer and resigns with immediate effect.

Derek Conway

Derek Conway
First appearance	Double Trouble (9/11/87)
Last appearance	Episode #005 (28/3/02)
Portrayed by	Ben Roberts
Information
Title	Chief Inspector / SO 54
Spouse(s)	Sandra Conway

Highlights from Chief inspector Derek Conway's career include the time he persuades a mentally unhinged man not to torch a house belonging to his wife Sandra. He also served as Acting Superintendent for two years taking command of Sun Hill Police station.

He was later killed in a car-bomb attack. After his death, the station organised a memorial fund for him, but it didn't go as planned. PC Des Taviner gave Inspector Andrew Monroe £50 notes, but later realised they were counterfeit. He attempted to retrieve them, but Monroe had locked his door where they were kept. Taviner had another plan however - when Sun Hill was faced with a powercut, a petrol-bomb riot escalated at the station and Taviner threw one himself inside the Inspector's office, not knowing gas cylinders were there. As a result, the station went up in flames, killing Inspector Andrew Monroe, PC Ben Heywood, PC Di Worrell, PC Sam Harker, DC Kate Spears and DC Paul Riley.

Joseph Corrie

Joseph Corrie
First appearance	Start With The Whistle (13/12/90)
Last appearance	Joey (18/07/91)
Portrayed by	Roland Oliver
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Sergeant

Sgt Joseph Corrie serves at Sun Hill for one year and is replaced by Sergeant Matthew Boyden.

Suzi Croft

Suzi Croft
First appearance	If It Isn't Hurting (5/3/93)
Last appearance	The Parent Trap (24/2/98)
Portrayed by	Kerry Peers
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Constable

DC Suzi Croft arrived at Sun Hill in the early part of 1993 as a Trainee Investigator. Initially seen by her new colleagues as little more than a work experience girl, Suzi was undeterred, proved herself to be an insightful and gutsy officer, and gradually became an integral part of the CID team. Her rank changed to Detective Constable in the summer of 1994. She was never afraid of being confronted by something different, whether it was Burnside's unique policing methods, or the latest technology in the fight against crime. She spent most of her time at Sun Hill working on Operation Bumblebee under the supervision of DS Alistair Greig, whom she saw as something of a mentor.

Caring, well-liked, yet also forthright, her no-nonsense attitude and spiky temper occasionally brought Suzi into conflict with other members of CID - the results of which sometimes earned her a mild rebuke from the DI. Her most notable adversary was DC Rod Skase, and working with him on a case almost always guaranteed fireworks. Yet despite this, there was never any real loathing between the two of them - indeed, Suzi’s announcement of her departure distressed the notoriously macho Skase enough for him to attempt a genuine apology for his behaviour towards her.

Suzi had the opportunity of a transfer to High Barnet CID in February 1998. Because they needed someone urgently, she had only a day in which to make up her mind. Discussing the matter with her best friend, DC Liz Rawton, she realised that although she would miss Sun Hill, the move would give her new career challenges, and so she decided to accept the offer.

Bob Cryer

Bob Cryer
First appearance	Funny Ol' Business - Cops And Robbers (16/10/84)
Last appearance	Hitting Home (24/4/01)
Portrayed by	Eric Richard
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Sergeant
Relatives	Robbie Cryer (niece)

Sgt Bob Cryer joined the Metropolitan Police in 1970 (the 1990 episode Start With The Whistle saw a party thrown to mark his 20 year service) and arrived at Sun Hill sometime in late 1983 / early 1984 (he isn't in the original pilot episode, although it is possible that he is actually the character of Sergeant Bob Wilding with a new surname), possibly as a result of a recent promotion to Sergeant. Until the series introduced the rank of Inspector, he was the second highest ranking uniform officer in the station in the series. He had previously seen some sort of army service, unfortunately most of it leaving him with unpleasant memories.

He is considered by most fans of The Bill to be an institution.^[7] From the fourth series of the show he was always the last character to be seen during the images on the main credits (in series 2 and 3 his picture was followed by a shot of DI Galloway), and the first three series tended to revolve around himself and/or Galloway, with the two men appearing in every episode of the three series and always being the first two names on the closing credits.

Cryer is a model officer. He cares passionately about his job and hates what he considers the "touchy-feely" approach of modern policing arguing that the role of the police is to "uphold and enforce the law".

His trademark calm served him well when dealing with the harder edged visitors to the cells at Sun Hill. For many years he was a uniform sergeant. In 1991 he was briefly promoted to Duty Sergeant (an upstairs job outside of uniform) but quickly found that he had no passion for it and that it was driving his former colleagues away from him, leading to him making the swift decision to return to uniform.

His experience in all things policing led to him being in many ways the archetypical uniform officer, firm but fair to criminal and civilian alike. He was considered to be the father figure of the sergeants on the relief and a lot of the younger officers would come to him for advice on matters both professional and personal. Along the way he still discovered that you can never know everything - such as the time he shot and killed a suspect despite the suspect's gun later turning out to be unloaded.

In his own private life he had a wife and two sons, one of whom was arrested and charged in relation to a driving offence which resulted in the death of the other occupant of the car. This led to an enforced sense of separation between him and his son, a topic which Cryer would still refuse to talk about when it was raised in later years.

As time drew on, many of Cryer's contemporaries such as Sergeant Tom Penny, Sergeant Alec Peters and even DI Burnside moved on to other jobs, or retired. He increasingly found himself as something of an anachronism, and became somewhat less indulging of what he saw as the stupid mistakes of newer officers.

One exception to this was PC Dale Smith. 'Smithy' had a similar background to Cryer, with both men having served in the army. Cryer developed something of a fatherly relationship with the younger officer, and was eventually the one who encouraged Smith to apply for the firearms squad. This came back to haunt him when, during a hostage situation, PC Smith accidentally shot his friend and mentor, which led to his forced retirement in 2001.

New young Superintendent Tom Chandler did not like Bob Cryer. Everything that Cryer stood for was everything that this new broom wished to sweep away, and Cryer's injuries acted as a catalyst for this move. Typically, Cryer went out of his way to console PC Smith, and held no recrimination in his heart for the young officer.

When Dale Smith came back to Sun Hill as a sergeant in 2003, there was more than a little bit of Bob Cryer's personality about him and the way he dealt with friends and foes alike. He had learned well from his mentor.

Cryer returned to Sun Hill for the memorial service of Inspector Andrew Monroe, and to attend the funeral of Sgt Boyden. He later came back to help his niece Roberta, who was the station's front desk officer, solve a crime. His most recent appearance was in a 2004 episode centering around DS Roach's funeral.^[8]

Roberta Cryer

Roberta Cryer
First appearance	Episode #033 (8/8/02)
Last appearance	Episode #180 (31/12/03)
Portrayed by	Moya Brady
Information
Occupation	Civilian Police Staff
Title	Front Desk Officer (FDO)
Relatives	Bob Cryer (uncle)

Roberta (or Robbie as she is known) is the niece of Bob Cryer. She was popular and well loved among the relief, sometimes when she is in tight spots she calls the help of her Uncle, Bob Cryer. At the end of her career, Roberta becomes one of Cathy Bradford's many targets when she starts to suspect the extent of Cathy Bradford's lies. Cathy finds out and threatens her. Later on Cathy phones into CAD and when Roberta answers she pretends to have a stalker and beats herself up. Roberta ignores the call for'urgent assistance' and subsequently gets discharged from the police. However, she appears later on when the truth about Cathy finally comes out and she tells Brandon all the lies she knew about Cathy. When Cathy finds out she beats Robbie up. Shortly after this Cathy is sectioned.

Alex Cullen

Alex Cullen
First appearance	On the Hook (Part 1) (3/11/00)
Last appearance	Episode #036 (20/8/02)
Portrayed by	Ged Simmons
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Inspector

DI Alex Cullen arrives at Sun Hill, following the CID clear-out caused by the Don Beech Scandal. Alex is appointed by Tom Chandler in the hope that he will be a useful ally. Realising that Chandler is using him, Cullen blackmails him into granting him a transfer.

D

Geoff Daly

Geoff Daly
First appearance	Knocking on the Door (4/6/96)
Last appearance	All Fall Down (Part 2) (31/10/00)
Portrayed by	Ray Ashcroft
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Sergeant

DS Geoff Daly served at Sun Hill for four years until the events of the Don Beech Scandal. After which, he is transferred in a clean wipeout of the original CID squad. Ironically DS Daly is the main person behind uncovering the corruption of DS Don Beech. Due to DS Daly being a member of CID he does not have a callsign and is simply referred to as "DS Daly" in radio communications.

After DS Don Beech's corruption was uncovered by the CIB, Daly was transferred away from Sun Hill in the 'clean sweep' of the CID that followed.

Grace Dasari

Grace Dasari
First appearance	Better Off Dead (14/6/07)
Last appearance	Respect Part Two (31/08/10)
Portrayed by	Amita Dhiri
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Constable

Grace arrived in Sun Hill as a new D.C on 14 June 2007 in the episode 'Better off Dead'.

After completing her doctoral thesis on Criminology at the University of Oxford's Centre for Criminology, Grace Dasari joins the police to put her academic experience into practice. She is recently transferred from the Specialist Crime Directorate where she worked long term on Eastern European organised crime.

Grace does not like comforting victims of crime, she is logical and joins the police force to put criminals behind bars, not to do social work. Grace analyses the evidence before her and makes logical deductions given the facts. Despite her disdain, Grace is a team player: she will play to her and the team's strengths. If she thinks a colleague can do a better job than her, she is a big enough person to pass it on.

Grace won't be seen down the pub with the team at the end of the day. She didn't come to Sun Hill for a social life.

In the eight part special 'Witness' Grace met an old flame from her study days called Sunhill Davdra who turns out to be the defence barrister for Dwayne Fox and Tito Morientes. Grace wants to get away from Sunhill and it is obvious that they didn't part on the best of terms.

Recently, she and DI Neil Manson have developed a relationship. She was upset that he did not tell her about his son's illness and felt betrayed by him. However, they soon make up and he asks her out on a date. They try to keep their romance quiet, but it is later discovered by DS Max Carter, who informs the whole team. Later, Neil tells Grace that he loves her. In the very last scene of the very last episode it shows Neil and Grace leaving the station hand-in-hand.

Mike Dashwood

Mike Dashwood
First appearance	A Friend In Need (23/10/84)
Last appearance	Going For A Song (25/4/96)
Portrayed by	Jon Iles
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Sergeant

DC Mike Dashwood's eight year stint in Sun Hill CID marked a stable period for the department, during this period only 3 CID officers actually left. His first DI, Roy Galloway left in 1988, and some years later, DCI Gordon Wray transferred from the station, as did his replacement DCI Kim Reid.

Mike was taken hostage twice. Once by a madman called Bailey, who held Dashwood responsible for placing him in prison. Bailey made Dashwood stand on the roof, and wave to the officers down below. A shot was then heard, although it turned out that Bailey had turned the gun on himself. Shortly before he left, Dashwood was again taken hostage, this time by two young people who were robbing a magistrate, when Dashwood walked in on them. After he persuaded them to give the gun up, he revealed to the surprise of DS Roach, that he would speak up for them in court.

Mike got on well with all his team. He was probably most like DS Alistair Greig in terms of personality. He also enjoyed working with the maverick DI Frank Burnside.

Although intelligent, Dashwood seemed happy to stay at the rank of DC, it was not until 1992 that he finally decided to move on, transferring to the Art and Antiques Department in Scotland Yard. He subsequently returned later that year for a two part Christmas special. His last appearance was in 1996, by then a DS, when he was called in by his former colleague DC Carver to help on a local antique theft case.

Norika Datta

Norika Datta
First appearance	Exit Lines (19/9/89)
Last appearance	The Whip Hand (9/7/98)
Portrayed by	Seeta Indrani
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

Of Kenyan-Asian parentage, PC Norika Datta served at Sun Hill for nine years. She had a white, sports teacher boyfriend called Peter and believed in separating work from pleasure. Jim Carver tried his luck with her (unsuccessfully), and she was sexually assaulted by PC Phil Young. She left to join the Crime Police Unit to assist them with domestic violence guidelines.^[9]

Chris Deakin

Chris Deakin
First appearance	Unfinished Business (02/08/94)
Last appearance	All Fall Down (Part 2) (31/10/00)
Portrayed by	Shaun Scott
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Inspector

Detective Inspector Chris Deakin joined the cast of The Bill in the episode "Unfinished Business", first broadcast in the UK on 8 August 1994. He arrived at Sun Hill police station as a Detective Sergeant, having been thrown out of the Flying Squad and forced to suffer the indignity of being disciplined by demotion because of his affair with a senior officer's wife.

Deakin sought to resurrect his career at Sun Hill, but he found his path blocked by Detective Inspector Sally Johnson. Never keen on women superiors, Deakin succeeded in undermining her and quickly stepped into her shoes when she left.

The character of Deakin was adept and streetwise and had the confidence of a man who had done it all - he had nothing to prove. He presented a clean, quiet exterior which masked threat. If violence was needed, he'd use it, but he'd find the right time, the right place. He was a policeman of the old school and would never break the rules, though he was prepared to take chances if he thought he would get a result. Dedicated to his job, he was by no stretch of the imagination a 'bent' copper, but greatly resented the paperwork that tied up all the loose ends. His superior, Detective Chief Inspector Jack Meadows, had time for him and actively interceded when he was in the soup.

Deakin’s final appearance was in the episode All Fall Down, broadcast in the UK on 31 October 2000. This was the concluding episode of the Don Beech Scandal storyline, which saw Deakin forcibly transferred from Sun Hill after Beech's corruption was uncovered. He was evidently annoyed that Jack Meadows, survived the cull of CID officers; his parting words to Meadows were: "Up yours, Jack."

Ramani DeCosta

Ramani De Costa
First appearance	Episode #124 (25/6/03)
Last appearance	Episode #392 (23/2/06)
Portrayed by	Thusitha Jayasundera
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Detective Sergeant * former Head of Community Safety Unit

Ramani DeCosta is 35 years old, and of Sri Lankin descent. She comes across as warm, engaging, extremely bright, and very good at her job. Her witty, sarcastic sense of humour sometimes gets her into trouble with her colleagues, but she is incredibly sensitive with those she deals with as part of her job. With 15 years experience behind her, Ramani is widely tipped for great things. She passes her sergeant's exams with ease and certainly ruffles a few feathers in CSU with her far more informed approach to sex offences; she is a specially trained expert in the field. Her enthusiasm and knowledge are a breath of fresh air in the department. However, she also has the contradictory mix of computer-like brainpower and scattiness. She is the sort of person who will pile up files on the floor because there is no room on her desk, and who breezes past in a whirl of Post-its. However she insists that she can tell you where everything is, maintaining order in apparent chaos. Ramani is often running late, but she is incredibly effective as a copper and has a real instinct, which serves her well and makes up for her lack of organisation most of the time.

Ramani arrives quite rightly confident of her own abilities and soon finds herself running the show with some brilliant suggestions for the Unit. Some of her colleagues are initially jealous, but Ramani is not into putting anyone else down; she likes to be liked. She eventually leaves Sun Hill to join the Child Abuse Investigation Team.

Ramani forms a strong friendship with DC Terry Perkins, which ends after Terry announces his feelings for Ramani.

Faye Donnelly

Faye Donnelly
First appearance	Landfill Killings (25/6/08)
Portrayed by	Siobhan Reilly
Information
Occupation	Scenes of Crime Officer
Title	Crime Scene Examiner
Spouse(s)	Unknown

Faye is a keen young Crime Scene Examiner who works with Eddie and his team, to collect evidence and nail killers. Since her first appearance she has not re-appeared on The Bill.

Ken Drummond

Ken Drummond
First appearance	Episode #021 (27/6/02)
Last appearance	Episode #288 (23/2/05)
Portrayed by	Russell Floyd
Information
Occupation	Detective Constable/Call sigh DC Drummond
Spouse(s)	DS Fiona Drummond
Children	Alex Drummond

DC Ken Drummond arrives at Sun Hill, shortly after the events of the first Sun Hill fire. Standing out amongst all the officers of CID, he is the main male antagonist of the TV series. Ken's trademark attire usually included a tropical-themed Hawaiian shirt. Ken is the man who you would always see with his feet up on the desk; while some might have called his style of policing "relaxed", a more appropriate term would be "lazy". His domestic life exhausted him; Ken has children spanning almost a generation, with the youngest eight months and the oldest nineteen years old, with all of them making equal demands of him, whether it be financial or emotional. Somewhere along the line, Ken found himself in a second relationship, and he did not have the heart to end his relationship with either woman. When more kids arrived on the scene, Ken found it harder to secretly play the family man to both families. This explains why Ken saw work as a refuge from his home life.

Upon his arrival at Sun Hill, Ken's relaxed-man attitude made its presence felt. Food was always higher on his agenda than policing, and he would often be seen befriending the canteen staff, from whom he used to get preferential treatment. Ken can still bring in a collar with the best of them. Ken once made the mistake of spoiling himself when a large sum of unaccounted money mysteriously turns up in his bank account. He later found out it had been planted there by DS Phil Hunter, who was using it to keep Ken under his thumb. Forcing him to pay it back, Ken is forced to carry out deeds for him in the meantime, such as trashing the flat of a paedophile. When Ken started moonlighting as a security guard because of this, he was drawn into a serious crime syndicate, which ends up with him being shot. Upon finding out while in hospital his son has been kidnapped, Ken immediately goes after Hunter.

Ken was always popular among his colleagues, and shared close friendships with Sgt. June Ackland.

He lived with his wife Fiona Drummond who is a Detective Sergeant and his son Alex Drummond.

He was killed by PCSO Colin Fairfax in the second fire.

Andrea Dunbar

Andrea Dunbar
First appearance	Episode #197 (10/3/04)
Last appearance	Episode #289 (24/2/05)
Portrayed by	Natalie Robb
Information
Occupation	Police Officer
Title	Police Constable

PC Andrea Dunbar arrives at Sun Hill, seemingly the ideal mould for a probationer with a zest for the job and a willingness to learn.

During her time at Sun Hill, Andrea begins an affair with the married DI Neil Manson. The affair ended when andrea died in the stations fire. Later, Gabriel told June that he had left Andrea there in the fire to die. This, and the fact that she finds herself surprisingly good at the job, compromises Andrea's position. It is later revealed that Andrea is a journalist, placed undercover at Sun Hill by her editor. She had undergone training at Hendon, in order to go undercover in the police force and write an investigative piece on whether or not the Metropolitan Police Service had become too soft on criminals after the Stephen Lawrence affair. It is her most challenging job to date, a story which is guaranteed to make her name, and she is determined to do it well.

Initially, Andrea is very popular among the relief, serving as a close friend and confidant to PC Kerry Young among others. There are many times when she obtains inside scoops, providing stories to her editor such as details about Kerry's rape and the Sun Hill Serial Sniper. When Inspector Gina Gold asks her if she has anything to do with the stories, she points the finger at her much distrusted colleague PC Gabriel Kent.

As her deadline gets closer and closer, she finds that she has become attached to her position as a copper, and she is now unsure whether she should run with the article she had set out to write. Sensing her uncertainty, her editor blows the whistle on her and her position to Superintendent Adam Okaro. With her role now out in the open, her past work comes back to haunt her when she gives evidence at the trial of serial rapist Alan Kennedy. The revelations that she is not a real police officer are disclosed, her evidence is discreditied, and the case against Kennedy ultimately collapses. She then faced the wrath of DS Samantha Nixon who had spent months building up the case against Kennedy.

Desperate for a chance to redeem herself, she makes one last effort to gather incriminating evidence against Gabriel, investigating his link with the serial sniper and attempting to tie him to the events. In the end she succeeds, only to end up being held hostage by him in a store room. The station goes up in flames, and Gabriel chooses to leave her there to die, along with all the evidence she has against him.

References

1. ^ "PC Timothy Able". The Bill Bios. The Bill Bios. http://thebillbios.co.uk/able.htm. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} DS Don Beech, The Bill Biographies
3. ^ "Sgt. Matt Boyden". The Bill Bios. The Bill Bios. http://www.thebillbios.co.uk/boyden.htm. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
4. ^ Tibballs (2003), p.132
5. ^ http://www.thebillbios.co.uk/
6. ^ "Derek Conway Biography". TheBillBios.co.uk. http://thebillbios.co.uk/conway.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-03. 
7. ^ "History 2001". The Bill Bios. http://thebillbios.billfans.com/2001.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-05. 
8. ^ "Roach Funeral". The Bill Bios. http://thebillbios.co.uk/roach_funeral_return.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-05. 
9. ^ Tibballs, (2003), p.137

General References

• Silver, Rachel (1999). The Bill: The Inside Story: Behind the Scenes of Britain's Top Police Drama. HarperCollins, London. ISBN 978-0-00-257137-1. 
• The Bill Bios
• The Bill Official Site
• Tibballs, Geoff (2003). The Bill: The Complete Lowdown on 20 Years at Sun Hill. ABC Books, Sydney. ISBN 0-7333-1330-2.