Episode
The Bill: Thug On The Tyne: Part I
Overview
Northumbria Police arrest one 'Frank Bentley' with a boot full of drugs and a handgun, after a high speed car chase through Newcastle. 'Bentley' and his 'lawyer' Liz McAuley are actually DCI Frank Burnside and DS Liz Rawton on an undercover assignment to investigate corrupt CID officers in Newcastle. Their target is DCI Bonnet, who seems to be in collusion with local gangster Saul Anderson. Despite Burnside being threatened by Anderson, and Rawton's cover nearly being blown when she runs into her cousin Cheryl at a bar, Burnside manages to gain Bonnet's trust. When Bonnet and Burnside meet at a private club, they are shocked when the police raid the place, but manage to escape without being spotted or arrested.
Details
- Series
- The Bill
- Season
- Season 16
- Episode
- Episode 3
- Air date
- 2000-01-11
Episode context
Thug On The Tyne: Part I is Episode 3 in Season 16 of The Bill. It aired on 2000-01-11.
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Episode 2: In The Firing Line
PC Smith is working undercover as a bodyguard for a South African drug importer named Tony Rourke. Rourke offers Smith a contract to kidnap and torture a senior police officer to find the location of a police informer they need kept quiet. Ordered by SO10's DCI Tasker to remain in place and find out more, Smith comes up with a plan to abduct the officer, who turns out to be Sun Hill's own DCI Meadows. Rourke and his right-hand man Jake begin to doubt Smithy's integrity, and end up executing his plan themselves. With DCI Meadows missing, a massive search is underway, until Smithy convinces Ken Stockley, the informant Rourke and his financier are after, to tell him not only Meadows' location but also the identity of Rourke's mysterious ""money man"" - Lucy Haslock, a City lawyer. SO19 raid the warehouse and recover Meadows, in bad shape but alive.
Episode 4: Thug On The Tyne: Part II
Although they are undercover, Burnside agrees to let Liz Rawton visit her mother. Despite a close shave at a family gathering when her cousin's boyfriend turns out to be an associate of Saul Anderson, Rawton and Burnside survive with their cover intact. Burnside even takes part in a little karaoke! Burnside is not pleased when Customs seize a crateful of guns meant for Anderson that he was supposed to see through. Anderson is not pleased either, and takes Burnside for a little drive. Bonnet and Anderson turn against each other, and Anderson is shot. As Bonnet is about to shoot Burnside as well, armed police arrive and he ends up shooting himself.
More episodes from this season
Episode 1: Angel
DCI Burnside arrives to investigate a murder which looks like part of a series of male rapes gone too far. Andy Wilson, one of the previous victims remembers something about an angel when he was attacked. Following a statement from taxi driver Steve Sanderson, DC Holmes finds a man matching Sanderson's description on CCTV tapes: his name is Mark Angelis and he works for a courier service with an angel logo. Although DS Boulton arrests Angelis in possession of a knife, he insists it is for self defence against the rapist. DS Stanton visits a profiler at Scotland Yard, and later discovers that taxi driver Sanderson has made a similar statement to Stafford Row station. Stanton and Proctor visit Sanderson's wife, and discover evidence that he is the culprit. They call Burnside to tell him, but he's in the back of a cab - Sanderson's cab...
Episode 5: Riot City
Ch. Insp. Conway and a team of Sun Hill officers undergo riot simulation training at the Met's training depot in Hounslow. Meanwhile, DC Glaze goes undercover at the Cockroft Estate to gather evidence of dealing in stolen goods, but discovers more than he bargains for when he discovers two rival familes battling for control of the estate, and which may be stockpiling petrol bombs and weapons for a showdown.
Episode 6: Crime & Punishment
Brownlow attends the funeral service of an old colleague that he used to serve with when he was in 182 squad, but soon finds that old wounds are beginning to reopen themselves as old grudges come to light. When Brownlow's arch enemy becomes drunk and assaults two men at the wake, he uses the opportunity to bring his enemy down once and for all. Little does he know that the entire ex-182 squad is being investigated for insurance fraud by an undercover officer from the Fraud Squad – so Brownlow sets out to find out who framed him and why. Meanwhile, Hollis investigates suspicious events at a crematorium after a number of cars are broken into at the funeral service, suspecting that an insider is tipping off a local robber as to the value of the cars at the service.
Episode 7: Zero Tolerance
Insp. Monroe has trouble dealing with a gang of boy-racers who are harassing and intimidating an elderly couple. When the old man dies after an altercation with the gang, Monroe is urged by Brownlow to show 'zero tolerance' to the youths. PC Smith gets close to a nurse at the St Hughs Nurses Home while investigating reports of a stalker in the area.
Episode 8: Scoop
Ch. Insp. Conway encounters the ""Sun Hill Angels"" at a function, an escort service which DS Boulton believes is also dealing in drugs. Boulton convinces Conway to help him conduct a sting operation against the Angels, which goes terribly wrong when Conway's 'escort' turns out to be an undercover reporter, conducting her own sting on a senior police officer! To keep the story out of the paper, Boulton and Conway offer the newspaper a chance to be involved in the investigation into Chapman, the owner of the Angels. Reporter Geraldine Sands disappears when she goes to Chapman's house to collect the drugs, but when the police find the house, they find she has the situation well in hand.
Episode 9: Beasts
PC Sam Harker has infiltrated a group of animal rights activists, thanks to Steve Burton, an old school friend from Liverpool. The group's leader, Ged Mellings, is suspected to be planning some terrorist action. While undercover, Harker takes part in some protests and animal liberation actions, and begins to sympathise with the cause. Despite some misgivings, Harker proves himself to Meddings, and discovers his plan to firebomb a local department store. CID lie in wait and catch the gang planting the bombs, and Harker is distraught to have betrayed his friend Steve.
Episode 10: Trusting The Enemy
Deakin is furious when a fourth drug dealer is assaulted in a number of days, a case which Beech was supposed to be investigating. Beech enlists Lennox and the pair are soon lead to a couple of possible suspects, the O'Brien brothers. Meanwhile, Rickman is dealing with a domestic involving the O'Brien's sister, Kelly. Daly informs his friend DI Baines of area drugs about the operation, unaware that Baines is the main man and the O'Brien's boss. Beech then tries to pin corruption charges on DI Baines, keen to get one over on his rival.
Episode 11: On The Wagon
PC Jim Carver returns to duty after undergoing treatment for his alcoholism. Unfortunately for him, he is paired with PC Dale Smith and their first case involves alcohol! Attending what first appears to be a racial assault at a post office, Carver uncovers a scam to sell thousands of pounds worth of illegally imported alcohol to off-licenses. Smith and much of the relief don't trust him, and after a Customs raid on a off-license which turns out to be an empty building, Carver must go out on his own (and on his own bicycle!) to find the person behind the scam.
Episode 12: The Untouchables
DC Danny Glaze sees a man set alight on the Larkmead Estate, and becomes determined to solve the case. They identify a suspect's car from CCTV tapes, and Insp. Monroe discovers a witness to the incident, a girl named Rochelle, who identifies the suspect, Dominic Mileham in a identity parade. When she suddenly retracts her statement and accuses Danny of paying her to identify Mileham, it seems Mileham and his solicitor father will go free. Danny takes a big risk and convinces Rochelle to wear a wire to prove Mileham's involvement.
Episode 13: Streetwise
Investigating a young boy's disappearance, DC Rod Skase takes a career-ending shortcut when he encourages a witness to implicate a man he considers to be the main suspect.