History     2005

At the start of the year, DC Jo Masters (pictured) was brought in to diffuse the tension between warring DCI Jack Meadows and DI Neil Manson (# 275); DS De Costa and DC Sim attempted to find out whether DC Perkins' brother had been abusing his son (# 276); and DS Nixon came to terms with the news that daughter Abi was carrying psychotic Hugh Wallis' baby (# 277). Sun Hill saw the arrival of new Police Community Support Officers Laura Bryant and Colin Fairfax (# 278); Harman, in her role as Family Liason Officer, compromised her professionalism when she consoled the husband of a murdered victim with a kiss (# 279); and Nixon proved that Wallis had been brainwashing her daughter (# 280). DI Manson dealt with the shocking news that his father-in-law, Scotland Yard's Deputy Assistant Commissioner, had been using rent boys (# 281); Hemmingway was dismayed to hear that her stint as Acting Sergeant was up (# 283); whilst the relief were eager to find out who the new sergeant would be - it turned out to be none other than June Ackland (# 284).

Acting DC Best was desperate to redeem himself after inadvertently getting caught up in a money laundering scam (# 285); Dunbar exposed a possible link between PC Kent and the Sun Hill sniper (# 286); PCs Kapoor and Johannsen took their advanced response driving test exams at Hendon whilst PCSO Fairfax was reprimanded for his racist attitude (# 287). Episode # 288 saw Armageddon Day down at Sun Hill: Dunbar's cover was blown, fatally compromising her testimony at the trial of serial rapist Alan Kennedy, as events came to a head when Fairfax was dismissed from the Force after being exposed as a vicious racist, who retaliated by handcuffing DC Drummond (pictured) in a petrol-doused van and crashing it into Sun Hill's front office. Blissfully unaware of the escalating crisis, Reg Hollis called Marilyn Chamber's mobile phone at the station, intending to ask for her hand in marriage - and triggered a massive explosion (pictured).

The officers had to come to terms with their grief when it was revealed that Marilyn, Ken and Andrea did not survive the blast (# 289); whilst long-serving DC Jim Carver, following the discovery of his wife's affair and death of good friend Ken, decided to leave Sun Hill, leaving a shattered June Ackland behind (pictured) (# 289a). Fairfax was arrested in conjunction with the investigation into the explosion (# 290-291); the funerals of the deceased officers took place (# 292); and PC Kent turned over a new leaf (# 293). Insp. Gold was told that she had cervical cancer (# 294); Sun Hill's enthusiastic new receptionist Julian Tavell joined the station to mixed reactions and Operation Mercury, the new drugs initiative, kicked off on the Cole Lane Estate (# 296). PC Dan Casper joined the relief (# 298); station cleaner Margaret Barnes' obsession with DS De Costa began to grow (# 299); and Nixon and Perkins had to deal with an assault on rapist Alan Kennedy (# 300).

In a 2-part special, DI Manson found himself facing a double murder charge (# 302-# 303); the whole of Supt. Okaro's family were killed in a car-crash (# 307); and the newly rebuilt Sun Hill station was opened (# 308). Perkins was stabbed (pictured) by manic depressive Margaret Barnes, as the extent of her obsession with DS De Costa came to light (# 311); drug-dealing gangster Adi Mateen was exposed as undercover police officer DC Zain Nadir (# 313); and Harman's new husband confessed to killing his ex-wife (# 315). Hemmingway was on tenterhooks as she awaited an enquiry into the use of her asp on criminal Lee Thomas (# 317); Stamp was hospitalised after being savagely attacked by a group of crack addicts (# 319); and Sgt. Ackland led the relief on strike after it became clear that senior management were not supporting their officers following recent allegations (# 320). Tensions ran high between DC Masters and DS Nixon (# 321); former Crown Prosecution Officer Jonathan Fox returned to Sun Hill (# 322); and Perkins' brother's trial began (# 325).

Also that year, Acting DC Best was reconciled with his estranged mother and decided to move back to Manchester (# 328); Supt. Okaro went on extended leave (# 329); and Perkins and De Costa's friendship crumbled (# 330). In another 2-part special, there was a race against time to track down a missing nurse (# 332-# 333); Ackland came to terms with her rape at the hands of a 13 year old boy (# 334); and Supt. Amanda Prosser (pictured) arrived to look after the station (# 336). Laura Bryant returned to Sun Hill as a full PC (# 338); Hemmingway's trial culminated with the jury finding her not guilty (# 339); and Meadows was distressed to discover his son was part of a cocaine pedaling business (# 340). Sheelagh Murphy's daughter did work experience at the station (# 341); Prosser continued to undermine Insp. Gold (# 342); and Manson's father-in-law returned from Spain and was caught in a compromising position with an under-age rent boy (# 343).

2005 also saw The Bill go live for the second time (pictured) as distraught father Jeff Clarke held the station hostage (# 349); Supt. Okaro resumed his post at the station (# 350); and PC Gabriel Kent finally came undone as his real identity and list of misdemeanours became unraveled (# 353). De Costa and Nadir dealt with a case of female circumcision (# 355); Masters went undercover as a warden in a women's prison (# 356); and Commander Barratt revealed he knew about PC Casper and his wife's affair all along (# 360). Valentine and Kapoor investigated a corrupt sergeant at Barton Street (# 363); Mickey Webb returned to Sun Hill full time as a DC (# 364); and a gay serial killer was on the loose, culminating in the murder of PC Lance Powell (# 367).

The relief attended the funeral of their departed colleague (# 370); new PC Will Fletcher arrived at the station (# 371); and Inspector Gold set up mock game show 'Cop the Lot' to catch a group of prolific offenders (# 372). Stamp's father's condition continued to disintegrate, forcing him to put him into care (# 373); and officers at the nick dealt with a trainee businessman who was the victim of female sexual assault (# 374). At the end of the year, Perkins' nephew Bradley went missing prompting a widespread search of Sun Hill (# 375); DCs Masters and Sim worked on a case of racially motivated assault (# 376); and Johannsen left the force when it became clear she wasn't up to the job (# 377).