List of The Bill characters (M–P)

Sergeant John Maitland arrived at Sun Hill under a bit of a cloud. At his previous north London station this young sergeant had shopped two traffic cops for drinking on duty. No one could argue that he did not do the right thing by the book, but the incident left a nasty taste. Sun Hill looked at him more kindly when Ted Roach was attacked by a gang of thugs. Maitland waded in to help, and from then on was respected as a sergeant who led from the front. He was also seen as a career officer with ambition. John was good at dealing with the public, but not always a diplomat when telling older and more experienced officers what to do. Despite being a solid, dependable officer, however, he never topped any popularity charts, being humourless and insistent on doing everything by the book. He left Sun Hill to take up a teaching post at Hendon.

Chief Superintendent Guy Mannion originally appeared as the officer in charge of Sun Hill's neighbouring station and perennial rivals, Barton Street. A youthful graduate-entry high-flier, he was in many ways the antithesis of Sun Hill's commanding officer, Chief Superintendent Brownlow. Not surprisingly, Mannion and Brownlow became bitter rivals, especially when the new post of Borough Commander came up for grabs. Brownlow was not at all pleased when Mannion was selected for the role: even though they held the same rank, and Brownlow was much more experienced, Mannion was the one in charge. Mannion played an instrumental part in the removal of Brownlow following the Don Beech scandal, and the appointment of Brownlow's replacement, Tom Chandler. Several episodes before Mannion's departure, Sun Hill Supt. Tom Chandler revealed to DI Alex Cullen that Mannion was due to retire soon and that he would be recommending Chandler for the job. Despite the glowing rapport, Chandler was unsuccessful, Mannion was succeeded as Borough Commander by Jane Fitzwilliam.

DI Neil Manson arrived at Sun Hill in December 2003. After serving as Acting Detective Inspector for eighteen months, DS Nixon was devastated when she was informed that she was to be demoted to Detective Sergeant and that a new Detective Inspector was to be appointed. Manson was no stranger to controversy and his personal life seemed to be the one thing that could make or break his career. His swift rise through the ranks initially seemed to his new team at Sun Hill to be largely thanks to his connections: his father-in-law was Deputy Assistant Commissioner Roy Pearson. An ambitious DI, Manson sought to discredit DCI Meadows where possible, and quickly became unpopular, with his exacting requirements and seemingly sexist attitudes. He also earned the enmity of DS Ramani DeCosta and DC Terry Perkins when he constantly reassigned officers away from CSU and PPU. Unhappy with Manson, DC Eva Sharpe dug into his background in an attempt to find any black marks against his name, but was unable to find any evidence of wrongdoing. DCI Meadows, however, heard a rumour that Manson's father-in-law used rent-boys, and told Eva. Eva confronted Neil, who was obviously taken aback at the allegation, and went to confront his father-in-law. DAC Pearson told him that the rumour was groundless. Angry at the interference into his personal life, Manson arranged to have Eva reassigned, blackmailing DCI Meadows over his relationship with a prostitute. Manson gained many collars and much credit for using information provided to him by DS Don Beech, the detective who puppy-walked him in CID. Beech, turned supergrass, made a deal to get himself transferred to another jail as a reward for information. DS Hunter and DI Manson accompany Beech, but he subsequently escaped after holding a gun to their heads, putting a question-mark on Manson's integrity. Manson's year went from bad to worse when it was revealed that his father-in-law did, in fact, use rent-boys. Feeling betrayed, he forced Pearson's resignation, and Pearson left the country to resettle in Spain. Manson had a relationship with PC Andrea Dunbar, and was about to leave his wife Philippa for her when he realised she was an undercover journalist. Despite this, he agreed to give them a chance but she was killed in the second Sun Hill fire. Superintendent Adam Okaro discovered that Manson had been having an affair with Dunbar, and asked Manson to take time off to get over her death. His wife Philippa learned about his affair from DS Phil Hunter, who was the only other person at Sun Hill aware of the affair.

While on leave after Dunbar's death, Manson came under investigation by the NCS team of which DS Mickey Webb was a member. Webb told Jack Meadows of Manson's affair with Dunbar. Manson discovered a bug in his smoke alarm after burning dinner, and decided to go into Sun Hill to discover whether the bug was planted by the police or somebody else. He was not told anything, but Meadows learned that the NCS were investigating whether Manson was influencing a key witness in a major money-laundering trial in which the defendant was a client of his wife. The NCS team had evidence of Manson meeting with her. Manson told Meadows that he met with the witness because the witness was afraid for her life. An informant of Manson rang him and asked to meet with him regarding the witness and the trial. Manson agreed, going to the meeting place and waking up covered in blood next to the body of his informant. Meadows arrested him for murder. Manson convinced Meadows to help him prove that there was a mole in NCS. Along with DC Suzie Sim and DS Phil Hunter, Meadows investigated the case, at one point even placing Webb under suspicion. Manson agreed to put himself at risk, calling the DPS and telling them he had information on a mole inside the NCS, in an attempt to draw the mole out. The DPS then attempted to transfer Manson to another prison, and he was nearly kidnapped en route. This kidnap attempt was thwarted by a swift intervention of Trojan officers, led by Meadows. Meadows, Manson, Sim and Hunter proved Manson's innocence and revealed that the mole in NCS was actually Webb's fiancée. After being bailed, Manson went home and attempted to reconcile with his wife, telling her that he wanted them to have a better relationship with the warmth and affection he shared with Dunbar. She rebuffed him, telling him that he needed to decide whether to settle for the relationship they have or walk out on them completely. Manson decided he would not settle for their relationship and returned to work. After Superintendent Adam Okaro took leave, Manson expected to be promoted to Acting DCI. However, Meadows was suspicious of the nature of Manson's relationship with DC Suzie Sim. Manson and Sim had previously worked together, and were shown to be close friends, with Manson confiding in Sim about his marriage, telling her that he and Philippa were trying to give it another go as neither wanted to end their marriage. Sim told him that he could count on her as a friend, and they shared a friendly kiss which Meadows witnessed. Pulling Manson up on his behaviour, Meadows accused him of being a womaniser, but was left with little choice but to promote him to Acting DCI anyway.

When his wife, a barrister, is assaulted in court, Manson immediately rushed to hospital to support her. She was grateful for his support, but refused to press charges against the man who assaulted her, Toby Crawford. Toby had accused her client Gavin Sullivan of pimping him, and had been upset when Philippa secured a verdict of not guilty. Returning to Sun Hill, Manson was swayed by DC Suzie Sim and DC Jo Masters who persuaded him to pursue the case against Crawford regardless, especially in light of a break-in at Sullivan's flat. However, Masters' and Sim's investigation discovered that DAC Pearson was back in the country, meeting first with Sullivan and then with his daughter, Manson's wife. Manson confronted Philippa, who told him that she had no choice in defending Sullivan and was not aware her father was in the country, but that she had known he was coming. Frustrated at being lied to, Manson was on the verge of walking out when Philippa relented and told him she defended Sullivan because he was blackmailing her father with a videotape. Certain that this tape would show Pearson with an underage rent boy, Manson confronted his father-in-law. The two exchanged angry words, and Manson was goaded into punching and telling Pearson that he knew about and was looking for the tape. Manson returned to the station to find that Masters and Sim had found the tape which confirmed his suspicions that Pearson used underage boys. Manson then learned that Pearson had gone to Sullivan's flat in an attempt to recover the tape and had been stabbed. Philippa, unaware of the tape's contents, was devastated when Pearson later died but was grateful for Manson's support. Given that Sullivan was going to go to trial for Pearson's death, Masters convinced Manson to tell Philippa what had happened, which he did. She lashed out at him and blamed him for her father's death. Assaulting him in front of the shocked relief, she fled to Spain with their five-year-old son Jake.

Superintendent Prosser agreed to Manson's request not to sent on leave, instead seconding him to MIT. While at MIT, Manson is contacted by dying convict Vince Parker, serving a twenty-year sentence for armed robbery, who claimed that he was responsible for a murder and he bribed Meadows and Price to lose the evidence. According to him, Meadows demanded more money and when Parker refused they framed him for armed robbery. Manson investigated this allegation along with DCI Frank Keane from the DPS. It emerges that Price planted the evidence for the armed robbery on Parker because he had had an affair with Parker's wife and was the father of the son that Parker had raised as his own. Meadows, however, did have one minor true role in Vince Parker's allegations, he had withheld a witness statement which provided Parker with an alibi. Manson discovered this old witness statement, signed by Meadows, giving him the chance to have Meadows fired and himself promoted. After some deliberation, Manson tore up the witness statement and told Meadows that "some things are more important than the job". Shortly afterwards, he returned to his old job at Sun Hill.

Manson became heavily involved in an investigation into the disappearance of seven-year-old Amy Tennant after school one day. As SIO, Manson also took over from Sim as the FLO, becoming close to Amy's father James Tennant in the process. When faced with the issue of telling Tennant that resources needed to be allocated elsewhere, Manson experienced a taste of Tennant's agony when his own son, Jake, went missing. After Jake was found, Manson promised Tennant that he would not stop looking and that he would stay on the case instead of reassigning it as he was intending to do. Amy was missing for a year, during which time it became evident that Tennant depended on Manson to get through this period without his daughter, and Manson became more and more emotionally involved. At the one-year anniversary, new leads gave Manson and the recently promoted DI Samantha Nixon the clues to find Amy and return her to her father. This investigation clearly had a huge impact on Manson, forcing him to consider the victims more closely than his crime rates. Later, Manson became involved in a disturbing case involving a child killer. Seeing the effect this case had on Manson, Meadows suggested that he take some time off to see his son. Manson agreed, and took a three-month sabbatical with Jake in Spain. Returning, he confided in DC Stevie Moss that he was "less than successful" with Jake.

While initially filled with a burning ambition and disregard for victims of crime, the personal crises Manson experienced while at Sun Hill noticeably mellowed him out, although he remained close-lipped and emotionally repressed; described by Jo Masters as 'po-faced' and Stevie Moss as 'grumpy'. Despite his taciturn nature, his team gradually discovered that behind the stony exterior, Manson is a quirky individual; Grace Dasari discovered he was a teenage raver in the late 80s while Stevie Moss discovered his fondness for magical tricks. While poor himself at dealing with emotions and other people, Manson was shown to be a canny detective who was very good at reading other people. His lack of a life outside the job following his divorce was also remarked upon by his colleagues. Still, his fair and firm management style, while often humourless and strict, gained him the respect of his subordinates. It became clear that he developed strong, mutually supportive relationships with Inspector Gina Gold and Inspector Dale Smith, who eventually succeeded Gina as Inspector. Despite the initial friction between them, it was also clear that he and Superintendent Jack Meadows had a high level of mutual trust and respect and were on friendly terms. Manson had a particularly close rapport with DC Grace Dasari, a friendship that was speculated to have deepened after his son Jake was diagnosed with leukaemia in April 2010. When Dasari was in danger from kidnappers in an undercover operation, Manson pulled the team out. Later, he asked Dasari on a date, and she accepted. She told him their dating was weird, but good weird. He and Dasari tried to keep their romance a secret but it was later discovered by DS Max Carter who informed the whole team. Later, Manson told Dasari that he loved her.

WPC Cathy Marshall was one of the brightest women at Sun Hill during her tenure. She had passed her sergeant's exams and was often 'acting' sergeant. When there were visiting officers to order about, Cathy had fun. She arrived at Sun Hill to work as the Collator, looking after all the files and records. She thought it was time for a more peaceful life, with only her brain getting tired by the end of the shift. After all, she'd been pounding the pavements for several years and she'd seen her share of excitement. She came with a brand-new commendation for single-handedly arresting an armed robber, and her colleagues knew that she was more than a filing clerk. Cathy had been married for ten years to a CID officer and he had beaten her up. She confessed this to Viv Martella, a close friend and confidante. At one point, he returned to see Cathy to try to persuade her that they could patch up their differences, but he soon showed his true colours, and she sent him packing. She soon tired of sorting the files, regular hours or no regular hours. A spell in the Domestic Violence Unit – during which time she helped the abused wife of her own doctor, a man she had consulted when she'd been abused in this way herself – did not really suit her, either. She asked to return to the beat, and Inspector Monroe reluctantly agreed. He could not stop her – Cathy Marshall liked it out there. Cathy drowned in mysterious circumstances whilst chasing a suspect.

PC later DC Viv Martella joined Sun Hill as a uniformed officer, an attractive dark-haired, dark-eyed girl with an Italian grandfather, a sharp cockney mouth and a determination not to get swamped in a male-dominated world. She never did. She shrugged off the chauvinism she found round every corner, and resisted all prying male attempts to find out about her love-life. She found a way of turning down the chat-ups with a smile and a witty word that did not leave the up-chatters feeling too knocked-back. There were plenty of chatters. Burnside had a go, so did staid Sergeant Penny, so did Reg Hollis if you'll believe it, and so did Lennie Powell, a villain-turned grass Viv had to guard in a safe house one night. Viv always had a civvy boyfriend on the go – nothing too heavy – but she was determined that she would not get involved with anyone in the Job. The only time she came close was when charming DS Hooper arrived at Sun Hill. Viv fancied him and was stunned when he turned out to be a divorced wife-beater, once married to another woman officer. CID took to using Viv Martella every time they needed a woman to work undercover, and after a time her title changed from WPC to WDC. It did not start too well, her career as a detective. She'd bought herself a stunning new suit – hardly plain clothes and she was sent out on her first job to pick up a prostitute needed as a witness. The girl gave Viv the slip a couple of times and was only finally caught after an exhausting chase, during which Viv fell over and tore her new outfit. She arrived back at Sun Hill triumphant but disheveled, and reacted angrily when the male CID establishment laughed at her scarecrow appearance and told her the girl she'd brought in was no longer needed. But they praised her, too. She'd become, said Burnside, 'one of the boys'. When she joined up Viv Martella saw the Job as just a job. She was not ambitious, she did not have a burning social conscience, she just thought it would be an interesting life. But as she got involved in police work Viv began to care more and more about the victims and sometimes about the villains, too. At the same time her quick temper with a wife-beater or a child-molester or a rapist sometimes made her blow an interview because she could not keep her cool. But that was Viv, a girl who cared and who could not always stop it showing. She applied for a position in the Bermuda police force on one occasion, but after being punched during a fight, then failing to prevent a suicide jumper, felt she was not up to the job and withdrew the application. When Sun Hill was challenged to a football match with a local youth team, Viv went in goal. She let in five, and Sun Hill lost, of course. She did not care. She had done her best. Viv was shot dead in the line of duty when she carried out a traffic stop on a van without realising the occupants included a wanted gunman. For the station her death was a tragedy.

Detective Constable, later Sergeant, Jo Masters arrived at Sun Hill in January 2005 amidst a reputation, a no-nonsense copper who had come across most well-known villains, and had an impressive track record for arresting them. An out and proud lesbian, she had no issues with her colleagues knowing, but did not let it define her career, focusing on the job instead of her personal life. She knew how to hit the ground running, both when she arrived as a DC, and later when she was promoted to Sergeant. She would fight off any criticism and find a way to earn respect, not just expect it. Jo's motivation is second to none, and her instinct and determination has served her and her colleagues well in the past. No-nonsense and headstrong, she'll do anything to nail a crook and makes sure the colleagues she works alongside pull their weight too. She is motivated by her sense of responsibility to the public. The job is a vocation and a way of life – she's never wanted to do anything else. She's a tough cookie, but is still prepared to learn and grow from every experience she encounters.

She was initially brought in after the death of DC Rob Thatcher, but Superintendent Adam Okaro chose her specifically as he thought she could sort out a personal grudge between DCI Jack Meadows and DI Neil Manson. Manson warned Meadows that she left her previous post because of a personality clash with her previous DCI, but both of them ended up at loggerheads with her on day one as she continually suggested improvements for CID, and their fury was compounded when they were assaulted and tied up by the son of a runaway felon who was caught unexpectedly during a traffic stop. When he was taken to hospital, his sons arrived armed to rescue him in the chaos of a protest against the destruction of a desperate woman's embryos. One son was arrested, and Jo was chosen by Okaro to negotiate with the remaining son, Roland O'Brien. As O'Brien became increasingly agitated by his father's declining condition and the attempted negotiations by his ex-girlfriend, claiming to pregnant with his child, he ended up in a struggle, and was accidentally shot by PC Roger Valentine during the scuffle. Despite the ending to the negotiations, Jo impressed her new colleagues with her actions.

In her early days at Sun Hill, she struck up a friendship with Acting DC Gary Best, after he was caught assisting a con artist and suspected drug dealer he fell for whilst in a club. She poked fun at him on a regular basis due to his inexperience, but her fellow Mancunian took it well, however similar treatment from DC Suzie Sim led him to file a bullying allegation. With half of CID turning their back on Gary, Jo became one of his only friends, but he ended up leaving after an ill-fated raid on a suspected drug runner ended with Gary being shot trying to save Suzie's life. He returned to his native Manchester in the aftermath, with Jo telling Gary that she'd miss him. In mid-2005, Jo went undercover at the prison where her girlfriend Tess worked, trying to take down jailed villain Cherry Watkins, who was using a corrupt officer to run drugs through the prison wings. Jo encountered convicted child killer Kath Wilson (Pauline Quirke), who she had worked with on the outside until she seriously injured her former partner in crime, in order to reveal the location of a murdered boy. When she was re-jailed, she assisted Jo in taking down Watkins, however things were complicated when, not only did Kath tell Jo she was in love with her, but that she knew Tess was her girlfriend. Despite this hiccup, Watkins was arrested trying to smuggle drugs into the prison. In the aftermath, her mule revealed Kath was the person who was behind the operation, and that she was trying to get her main rival removed. Furious at being double-crossed, Jo arranged a transfer to another prison for Kath, before smugly telling her she was being moved.

Jo was later approached by a "super-grass" and long-term informant, Seth Mercer (Philip Martin Brown), having initially lost his trust when DS Samantha Nixon nearly blew his identity. Revealing he was being pressured to run guns through a freight business he inherited, he persuaded her to come to Nottingham to go undercover as his girlfriend. Jo agreed to the move, but the decision cost her relationship with Tess, who accused her of loving the job more. Jo left Sun Hill in early 2006, however the storyline was concocted to cover actress Sally Rogers going on maternity leave after the birth of her child in February 2006. Jo reappeared in December 2006 when DS Stuart Turner and DC Terry Perkins arrested her and Seth in an operation to bust a counterfeit car parts ring. Refusing to reveal the operation to Turner, Perkins or DCI Meadows, a search of her van revealed a firearm. Nottingham CID came down to lead a raid on the primary targets, but one of them recognised Seth and abducted him. Jo refused to listen to orders from Meadows and went after the brother of the man Seth had jailed, Danny Castle. Tracking down Seth at the graveyard where his son was buried, Jo and Seth were ambushed. Escaping into an abandoned building, armed backup closed in to rescue her and Seth, but it came too late when Seth was shot dead by Castle. In the aftermath, Meadows offered Jo her old job back, which she accepted.

In mid-2007, Jo got past her initial issues with DS Turner when they worked together on the investigation into the death of model, Cindy Statham. Despite getting a confession from a stalker, Larry Franks, he withdrew his confession after escaping prison on the day of Statham's funeral. Jo persuaded DI Manson to allow her to re-open the case, however he was unsatisfied with the lack of progress and ordered it to be shut down. With CID emptied at the end of a shift, Jo continued on and discovered a woman's handbag and a ringing phone in a video filmed by Franks at the murder scene. When she left to go home she met up with crime scene photographer Rachel Inns, an old friend of the Statham. When she entered Rachel's car and heard her phone ringing, she recognised the ringtone and the bag on the backseat, and Rachel lashed out by knocking her unconscious. She persuaded Rachel to text Stuart, who was intrigued by her tone and the fact that Jo rarely texted, and he realised she had been abducted. When a check on the phone history revealed Rachel was responsible, a hunt was launched, however Rachel then stole a gun from the station evidence locker. When she was tracked to a childhood haunt, Jo tried to talk Rachel down as S019 closed in, discovering Statham's career was launched by Rachel, but she failed to give her credit. Able to arrest Rachel, Jo thanked Stuart for working out she was missing and spearheading the rescue. Jo would go onto return the favour when a close friend of Stuart, limo driver Trevor Jones (Sid Owen), was a major drug runner blackmailing him. Jo risked her career, despite reluctance, to help out Turner. When he arrested Jones, his friend refused to drop Stuart in it, and Stuart thanked Jo for saving his career.

In late 2008, Jo got personally involved when a prostitute she arrested, Kelly Porterfield, was found dead. Discovering she was both underage and a runaway, it transpired that Porterfield had threatened to blow the operation to the police, leading suspected ringleader Jake Clegg to kill her. The case escalated when it appeared she was part of a human trafficking operation, Clegg and his young cousin Andy Donnelly ensnaring runaway girls into drugs and prostitution. Determined to get justice for Porterfield's devastated mother, Jo set about getting Donnelly's latest conquest, Jen Kilshaw, away from him, but struggled to convince Kilshaw she was in danger. When Jo's heavy handed tactics with Clegg in interview led to an official complaint, Jo was more determined than ever to nail her man. When Kilshaw was taken away to be sold to a Scottish contact in the operation, Jo set about following Clegg to track Kilshaw down before she was sold on. When Clegg seriously assaulted Donnelly over his protests about Kilshaw's sale, Jo trailed him to the meet and arrested Clegg, despite being assaulted in the process. When she convinced Donnelly to speak up, Jo took great pride in charging Clegg with murder and human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

In early 2010, Jo impressed now-Superintendent Jack Meadows and uniform Inspector Dale Smith when she cracked a rape case and proved that a stalker broke into his victim's house to kill her, she was offered a transfer to uniform and promotion to Sergeant. In one of her first cases, Jo was tasked with negotiating when an unstable mother, Carly Wilcock, abducted her young, deaf son at gunpoint. Barricaded inside her ex-husband's home, Jo discovered Wilcock covered for her husband, an ex-DS, on a drugs charge. Discovering he used the case to get full custody of their two sons, Jo negotiated while CID tried to prove the case. Jo tried to coax Wilcock out of the house, but when DS Max Carter refused to let her go down to the scene and help her out of the house, Wilcock snapped and retreated into the house. As she became more unstable and implied she was going to harm her son, Jo and Insp. Smith told her ex-husband he had no choice but to agree to custody. Despite saying it on recording in front of three witness, Wilcock made it appear as if she had shot her son, and SO19 stormed in. Shooting Wilcock dead, it was revealed she didn't shoot her son, and opted for suicide by cop after fearing she would never see her sons again. Jo, devastated, blamed Carter for Wilcock's death. She ended up clashing with fellow Sergeant Callum Stone when he was assaulted trying to intervene in a domestic disturbance. After first scaring off the victim, he proceeded to attack the suspect, and while Jo never proved it, she marked Stone's card. When he was again suspected of assault, this time on film, Stone was suspended by Meadows and Area Commander Lisa Kennedy. With uniform feeling Stone was shafted, morale in uniform declined drastically. Despite this, Jo pushed on to command respect; PC Nate Roberts witnessed Carter telling Jo "If enthusiasm was a disease, they'd (uniform) be the healthiest people on the planet", causing a furious Jo to slam him, leaving Roberts to tell uniform there was no doubt which side Jo was on. Although she remains approachable and level-headed, her PCs are soon to discover that their new Sarge is no pushover – and she is not afraid to take on Sergeant Callum Stone or Inspector Dale Smith either, if the case demands it. Jo remained at Sun Hill until the series finale, and established herself as one of the show's most popular characters during her five and a half-year stint.

DS Debbie McAllister arrived at Sun Hill during the aftermath of the Don Beech Scandal. A schemer who often took credit for the efforts of others, she dates Tom Chandler in an attempt to sleep her way to higher rank; falling pregnant with his baby, she eventually marries him. The efforts of DCI Jack Meadows and DC Mickey Webb to bring down Chandler for the rape of a young woman years before culminates with him holding a gun to Debbie as she goes into labour two months early, with Meadows in the room. Tom shoots himself and Debbie is rushed to hospital. She makes a choice not to keep her son Andrew, but eventually changes her mind. Soon afterwards she begins an affair with fellow Sun Hill officer Juliet Becker; after her murder she then begins pursuing a relationship with Meadows. However, she finally decides to leave the force to look after her son, and strikes out on her own. There is no doubt that Debbie was an excellent DS, but there were those who she did not get on with. A prime example in her later years at Sun Hill is DC Brandon Kane, whose wife Tanya was pushed down the stairs, and Debbie investigated, but wrongfully accused Brandon initially, causing a vicious slanging match between her and Brandon in the middle of the hospital.

PC Gary McCann was a university graduate when he arrived at Sun Hill, having achieved a degree in history and politics from the University of East Anglia.[1] McCann was the child of immigrant parents who made their way to England in the 1960s. Despite his academic background, McCann chose a career in policing. McCann arrived at Sun Hill as a probationer, "puppy walked" by Sergeant Matthew Boyden and was seen by Chief Superintendent Brownlow to be a promising recruit. He soon learnt that the police could not always operate "by the book" but he was quick to adapt and felt comfortable with other members of the team. Gary was ambitious and resented the fact that PC June Ackland had been promoted to sergeant instead of him. He did, however, reapply for promotion four years later[1] with success. He then transferred from Sun Hill.

CADO Dean McVerry arrived at Sun Hill in September 2003, becoming the station's latest CAD officer. Unlike his predecessors, Dean was confined to CAD as he was in a wheelchair, and was unable to carry out normal police duties. Dean served at Sun Hill for nearly three years, and was very popular amongst fellow officers and colleagues. He decided to resign in February 2006

Detective Chief Inspector later Superintendent Jack Meadows was a thoroughly seasoned police officer, being ex-Murder Squad officer in the Area Major Incident Pool (AMIP). He has seen most of the gruesome sights an officer can see. He can be bad-tempered and does not suffer fools gladly, but is not slow in showing praise when it is due. Meadows arrived at Sun Hill having been demoted from Detective Superintendent for lack of supervision, although many believed his demotion was the result of a corruption case. He worked on a number of cases in conjunction with detectives at the station before being brought in to run the show over the head of an initially resentful DI Frank Burnside. Meadows is tough and keeps a close eye on his colleagues without unnecessary interference. He is very astute at seeing through people, villains and colleagues alike. Meadows has gone on to survive a number of crises whilst at Sun Hill. He faced corruption charges several years ago, and after the Beech fiasco he was left in no doubt by Chandler that he was in danger of losing his job. However, Chandler had underestimated the enemy and Meadows hung around to haunt – and ultimately destroy – him. Jack's Achilles heel is his weakness for younger women. He was happily married for 28 years to school-teacher Laura, but when their children left home the cracks in the marriage began to show. She resented his overriding commitment to the job and came to the realisation that he was no longer in love with her. During a period of separation, Jack became involved with a high-class escort and also a DS at the station. As the spearhead of the station, Jack always brings gravitas, perspective and leadership to any case that he oversees; as a seasoned detective, father and mentor, he continually proves that he can balance his heart and his head, but it's sometimes tough for Jack to maintain his steely exterior and keep an even keel. His promotion to Superintendent in July 2009 following Heaton's departure was richly deserved.

PC Ken Melvin was a bit of a surprise to Sun Hill. They had found him a likeable enough bloke, but when he revealed he was a Born Again Christian they looked at him in a slightly different way. After all, religion was not high on the agenda for canteen conversation, not when there was birds, booze and football to talk about. He was respected and liked by his fellow PCs but frequently spoofed on account of his youth and inexperience. Handsome, fair-haired Ken was killed while parking a booby-trapped car in the Sun Hill yard. A bomb went off, and he had no chance. Damage caused by the explosion pushed ahead the planned rebuilding and refurbishment of the station.

Inspector Andrew Monroe was happily married for more than twenty years and had three daughters. He did lead a happy household, however it was known that his policing took its toll on family life. In one episode his daughter Jackie is arrested for shoplifting.[2] Monroe was a working-class man who had worked as a miner and had very little formal education. Monroe's knowledge of police procedure is considered by many to be first-rate. He was a stern and disciplined officer who commands a lot of respect from his subordinates and superiors. Monroe was significant in DS Ted Roach's departure from Sun Hill, as it was Monroe who reported Roach for striking a senior officer. He was punched by the detective during an argument when Monroe refused to let him leave the station, pending an investigation by CIB over a brawl Roach was earlier involved in. After twelve years of service at the station he is killed in The Sun Hill Fire.

DS Jo Morgan could be sometimes thought of as a female version of Burnside. She was often so certain of her own judgements that she landed herself in hot water with DI Johnson and her other bosses, not to mention colleagues like Alan Woods. Jo saw sympathy as a waste of time – with victims and witnesses she could be brusque and sharp – she wanted results and did not care how she got them. She was, however, a reliable member of the CID team; her sense of humour saved her, and her wit kept her stock high with the others. Jo originally came from Rochdale, and arrived at Sun Hill from another tough London district, Hoxton CID, where she earned promotion to sergeant. She was divorced – things probably did not work out because her ambition got in the way. Jo never complained about being a woman in a man's world. To her this was irrelevant – her job was cracking the next case. The job was her life. Jo transferred to the South East Regional Crime Squad, and returned to the station in September 1995 to provide evidence in a trial of a convict DI Chris Deakin was trying to put away. Later that month in episode "Bait", Jo returned to Sun Hill but was gunned down outside the station whilst warning Ackland of an impending attack on her car. She was planning to transfer back to the station permanently following the investigation.

Detective Inspector, later Detective Chief Inspector Rowanne Morell was a member of the Murder Investigation Team during 2004 and 2005. She is first assigned to Sun Hill CID to investigate the Sun Hill Sniper murders which saw the death of a local youth, a paedophile and a man arrested for serious assault. The sniper's gun was used by PC Gabriel Kent to murder PC Kerry Young and the sniper then tried to kill a weapons fanatic without orders from Kent. As Morell's team closed in on the sniper, Kent got there first and threw him off his balcony to his death. Morell's team investigated this and determined it was deliberate, either to cover his tracks (the real reason that Morell and Sergeant Dale Smith figured) or to avenge his apparent girlfriend Kerry, who was only pregnant with his child due to a rape. Morell's next investigation at Sun Hill was the station fire in 2005 which killed DC Ken Drummond, SRO Marilyn Chambers, PC Andrea Dunbar. The investigation was run by her but over-ruled by a determined Sun Hill investigation led by DCI Jack Meadows and DC Jo Masters. The culprit was revealed to be disgruntled ex-PCSO Colin Fairfax. Following the fire DI Neil Manson, who was upset by the death of his girlfriend Dunbar, took leave and Morell was Acting DI at Sun Hill for a few weeks. She was promoted to DCI at MIT to replace DCI Andrew Ross, when Manson returned to Sun Hill. Her first case took her back to Sun Hill to investigate the Karen Burnett murder, when it appeared husband Scott Burnett (now married to PC Honey Harman) was responsible. Burnett and Harman attempted escape to France but Harman's better judgement got a hold over her and tried to bring her husband to justice, but he attempted to be washed away by the sea at the Dover Cliffs. He was brought back to London and sent to prison where Honey visited him, and he then hanged himself in his cell. Morell returned to Sun Hill when two nurses were killed, and she tried to crack the investigation with DS Ramani DeCosta, who was kidnapped by the suspect. After several months of absence, Morell returned when a homophobic serial killer was in Sun Hill, and his final victim was PC Lance Powell. and after the case Morell was not seen again.

DC later DS Stevie Moss arrives in January 2008. Stevie was transferred from an undercover unit. Quite girly to look at, Stevie has never tried to be the boy of the squad – but is known for getting stuck in with the fights, and having a cheeky answer to everything. Stevie had her first major storyline with DS Max Carter, DC Terry Perkins and DC Mickey Webb in February 2008. She arrested a man for a hit and run and hit it off with the CID team immediately. In more recent times, Stevie has built up a close relationship with DI Neil Manson, and Inspector Dale Smith, whom she worked with undercover on a gun running operation. She shared a kiss with Smithy, while under the guise of his girlfriend, however, their relationship was not continued. After DS Stuart Turner left, she became a detective sergeant, and Trainee DC Will Fletcher was promoted into her job.

Sgt later PC Sheelagh Murphy was born in Ireland, the oldest of five children. Her mother died when she was 13, and Sheelagh ended up raising her brothers and sisters while her dad ran a pub. As a result, her education was a bit sporadic, but she was naturally quick-witted, and a good communicator. After leaving the family home and the responsibilities of raising her first family, she married taxi-driver Patrick and began her own family. Within four years she had three children. Once the children reached school age, Sheelagh pursued her first career as a nurse, which suited her caring side but did not fulfill her entirely. She often ended up chatting to the many police officers who came into the hospital and began to think what life would be like as an officer. Having brought up two families, Sheelagh was a natural mother figure, and it was not long before Sun Hill turned into family number three. As much as she enjoyed the camaraderie of the relief, she was soon spotted as a mature and capable candidate for promotion; a few months prior to joining Sun Hill, Sheelagh passed her Sergeant's Exams. Sheelagh was a natural carer – she could spot need and address it – sometimes before the needy realised it themselves. An open and honest person, she did not need to make a martyr of herself like June or hide behind a tough-girl image like Gina.

Sheelagh arrived at Sun Hill in February 2003 as a replacement for Sergeant Craig Gilmore, who was seriously injured in an assault. She often provided a lighter approach to management than counterpart Matt Boyden. This showed when she discovered PC Nick Klein had been using cocaine to cope with the death of PC Cass Rickman; rather than reprimanding the PC she sent him on leave to recover, however the problem only manifested, causing him to be admitted to rehab by Superintendent Adam Okaro. When Sheelagh's husband Patrick was falsely suspected of a series of attacks, she joined forces with PC Des Taviner to clear his name, despite Taviner being attracted to her. They grew closer when Taviner's best friend, PC Reg Hollis, was held hostage on a runaway bus. When the driver was shot by one the young hostage taker, Murphy battled to save his life. Despite saving his life, an emotional Murphy shared an emphatic kiss with Taviner. The PC tried to convince her into starting an affair, but despite her protestations, they became close. When she tried to cut it off for the sake of husband Patrick, their children and 20 years of marriage, Murphy was stunned to discover she was pregnant with Taviner's child. He convinced her to leave Patrick, but he confessed to his role in the 2002 station fire after he was exposed for framing jailed suspect Jeff Simpson, throwing their relationship into doubt. When Inspector Gina Gold asked Murphy to take Supt. Okaro to New Scotland Yard, Taviner assumed the worst and flipped out, chasing a suspect into a chemical warehouse in the Area Car, causing it to crash and explode. Hollis was pulled from the wreckage, but the Area Car was crushed by a falling balcony, which caused a second explosion. Sergeant June Ackland broke the news to Murphy, who broke down and confessed Taviner was her baby's father. Things only got worse when Murphy tended to an injured DC, Juliet Becker, who was fatally stabbed by a drunk suspect. Keeping her company at the station, and later in the ambulance, Murphy was devastated at the loss of Taviner and Becker in a matter of days. The day after Becker's death, Okaro confirmed to Ackland that Taviner was still alive; when Ackland went to Murphy to tell her, Murphy stated she wished he was dead and exposed his role in the station fire to a sickened Ackland, who demanded she tell Okaro.

Taviner wasn't mentioned again for a few months when, in early 2004, Murphy spotted him outside the station. Having given birth to daughter Niamh at Christmas 2003, Sheelagh was horrified when she came to home to find her unresponsive. Initially blaming babysitter, PC Cameron Tait, Murphy discovered Niamh had a hole in her heart. When Taviner came to see her, she told him his baby was dead, and he flipped out by abducting Tait. Later holding Murphy hostage as well, Taviner let her go before planning to kill Tait. Eventually letting Tait go as well, Taviner was later arrested as he tried to set things straight with an uninterested Hollis. Murphy ignored his pleas in custody to tell the Murder Investigation Team it was an accident, but his screaming led to his cellmate beating him to death. Struggling with the loss of Taviner, Murphy fought MIT to clear her name as the investigating officer tried to imply she deliberately paired him with a violent man. As she went to resign, Okaro informed her she had been cleared.

In the aftermath of Taviner's death, Murphy had a run-in with a drink driver, James Simeon, when she asked him for a blood sample, but he refused by stating it was against his Rastafarian beliefs; Murphy and Okaro told political activist Jerome Taylor he couldn't use that excuse, stating that the consumption of alcohol was also against his beliefs, and he was caught over the limit. Despite this, Simeon and Taylor took Murphy to court, where he was found not guilty and cleared. Taylor went to the borough commander to demand disciplinary proceedings, and Murphy was demoted to PC as a result. In her first few weeks as PC, she clashed PC Lance Powell, who stated he thought her son Connor was gay. Refusing to believe it and blinded by her Catholicism, she was stunned when Connor confirmed Powell's suspicions. When she sought religious advice, she was left disappointed by the advice that implied Connor would not be welcomed by the Catholic community, and she put her beliefs aside to support her son's choice. Murphy later clashed with new arrival, PC Leela Kapoor, who was transferred from Barton Street after giving evidence against a police friend of Murphy's found guilty of assaulting a suspect. Kapoor initially accused Murphy of racism, using the Simeon scenario as fuel for her fire. Kapoor's mind was eventually changed, and the pair bonded when Murphy broke down during a call to revive an unconscious baby, the first case she'd dealt with since the death of baby Niamh.

In the aftermath of the 2005 station fire, Murphy formed a close bond with PC Gabriel Kent, seen as a changed man after the blaze (though he isn't for long). After he initially tries to avoid temptation, they eventually begin a relationship, Murphy ignoring his admission to murdering the Sun Hill sniper. Believing the lies Kent spun about impregnating PC Kerry Young, Murphy told him she would accept why he would kill his "girlfriend's" killer, without realizing that not only he was Young's killer instead of the sniper, but she was only pregnant because he raped her. Murphy also ignored Ackland's warnings that embarking on a relationship with Kent would be dangerous. Murphy questioned Kent when Sergeant Dale Smith told her the only reason Young was pregnant was because Kent raped her. Kent reacted horrendously when confronted, dumping Murphy and seeking solace with a prostitute. When Murphy apologised, Kent lamented and proposed. Just as they were about to marry, Kent's adoptive brother returned from America, threatening to expose him. Kent's brother, the real Gabriel Kent, was shot during a siege at the station and ended up in intensive care. When PC Laura Bryant revealed to Smith that the man called himself Gabriel Kent, they took their findings to Ackland, who revealed that PC Kent was actually David Kent, the brother of her adopted son Gabriel. Identifying the man in hospital as her son, Bryant lets it slip to Murphy, who discovers Kent's true identity. When he goes off to kill his brother, Murphy warns Bryant and Smith that the real Gabriel is at risk. Causing a cardiac arrest, Kent thinks his brother is dead; spotting an arrest team whilst on a shout at a block of flats, he realizes the gig is up, and takes Ackland hostage on the roof. Revealing his crimes and that he killed her son, Kent is assaulted by Smith, but he overpowers him before jumping to his death. In the aftermath of Kent's death, Murphy, guilty that when she fell for a murderer and rapist, begins questioning her judgement, with Inspector Gold pulling her aside after admitting "negligence" in an incident report. Telling Gold she's had enough, Murphy hands in her resignation. Eventually changing her mind, Gold secured Murphy a transfer to the Child Protection Team, which she gladly accepts. Murphy left Sun Hill in October 2005.

PC Pete Muswell, a tall Londoner, was single, aged somewhere in his thirties. Like Sgt Cryer, Muswell was one of the officers who battled the flying pickets during the miners' strike, but unlike Cryer, he enjoyed his confrontations with the Yorkshiremen and frequently volunteered for overtime during that special duty. Whether the scar under his left eye resulted from these engagements was never revealed. Indeed, his heavy-handed, indiscriminate use of a truncheon caused the subsequent death of a young miner. Muswell relished a fight and there was no one better to have about when there was one, even if he tended to resort to dirty tricks with friend and foe alike – he was much too fond of the boot. Hard-boiled, foul-mouthed, bigoted and chauvinistic, Muswell was streetwise and knew all the dodges. The fact that he rode a new motorcycle suited his hard-drinking, hard-smoking image. Muswell was not necessarily sexist, however, displaying a certain protective loyalty towards June Ackland, and Viv Martella particularly, whom he often partnered. They were officers, after all. His relationship with Abe Lyttleton, the first black officer to be posted to Sun Hill, was predictable. He called Abe 'Snowball' but never seemed able, even with his best attempts, to upset him. Muswell however eventually developed a grudging respect for the man. As for Taffy Edwards, not likely. Not only was he Welsh, he was also a 'uniform carrier', and that Pete could not tolerate. Under a tough exterior, Muswell could be soft-hearted given the right circumstances, but these were few and far between. He could be rather charming if he wished, but was often the brunt of barbed jibes by the rest of the Relief, and not always good-naturedly. His ideas were purely black and white and totally unsympathetic. He thought that rape victims, for example, asked for it and probably enjoyed the experience. Muswell was a gambler, in one instance organising a wager at a 'kickabout' five a side football match, but did not like it at all when he failed to win the pot; but that was Pete all over. Money was everything to him. As unlikely as it seems, Muswell left the force, perhaps for more money in a better paying job.

DC Zain Nadir spent two years on the beat as a PC in Stoke Newington before being offered a job with Covert Operations. When Superintendent Okaro launches "Operation Mercury" on the Cole Lane Estate, an operation focusing on targeting drug crime, he sends Nadir undercover posing as a drug dealer, Adi Mateen. When PC Lance Powell identifies Mateen as a suspected drug dealer, he develops an obsession to catch him. Keeping a close eye on him, Powell witnesses a deal taking place between Mateen and Okaro in the car park of a local snooker hall. Suspecting it as being drug deal, Powell becomes concerned that the Superintendent may be corrupt when he fails to inform his fellow officers about the deal. He does not have much time to mull it over, however, before he and Mateen are confronted by teenager Jordan Tomlin, who is armed with a gun. At that moment, Mateen reveals to Tomlin and Powell that he is an undercover policeman, working to infiltrate a big-time drug baron. He is able to convince Tomlin not to use the gun, and he is arrested shortly after fleeing the scene. Believing that his cover has not been blown, he continues with his undercover operation, but is almost gunned down, unaware that in the time between Tomlin fleeing the scene and being arrested, he tipped off the drug baron about him being a policeman.

Exceptional and specialising in undercover work, Zain was extremely driven and ambitious, and preferred thinking with his head. Zain is a second generation British Muslim. He has an estranged relationship with his parents, Rafi and Carmen. Zain's sister died years ago from a drug overdose, although Zain later tells Kristen Shaw (a drug dealer he goes undercover to catch) that she was killed in a car crash, in order to retain his cover. He frequently states that the death of his sister, Jessica, is the reason he joined the police.

Shortly afterwards, Zain accepts a post offered by DCI Jack Meadows as a DC in CID. While not straight down the line corrupt, Zain is known to bend the rules and distort the truth to benefit himself on more than one occasion. Meadows realises he needs to be tamed, if he is to be kept in CID, and he intends on keeping a close eye on him. Zain's experience on the streets means he is constantly slipping back into undercover mode, and he finds his habit of making up stories from his past a tough one to break. Zain was often considered courageous but reckless, always sailing close to the wind. In the second live episode, in which Sun Hill station is under siege, Zain goes against all protocol and risks his life by speeding across the road from the station in a car along with DS Phil Hunter as a gunman fires shots at them. There is a more sensitive side to Zain as he works on a few CSU cases with DS Ramani DeCosta, in particular one involving female genital cutting. Although he is more dynamic than Ramani in securing a result, he is still diligent and professional. Towards the end, Zain had "turned native" and is feeding false information to his superiors and officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The Sun Hill team are preparing to foil a major drugs deal between Kristen Shaw and the Colombians at a false location, and Zain sneaks off to Kristen's bar and updates Kristen and her business partner, Paul Haskew, on the team's movements, and after betraying his team he and Kristen escape the country, just as evidence of his lying becomes evident. During a major drug deal that Zain and Kristen do with partners Paul Haskew and Jose Alvarez. When a former drug mule, Eva Garcia, that Zain claimed was dead under orders from Superintendent John Heaton and DCI Jack Meadows, shows up, Alvarez kidnaps her and her liaison PC Honey Harman. During an argument where Haskew tries to force Zain to confess he's undercover, Alvarez shoots Garcia to break the silence, and uses Honey as a hostage to force a confession from Zain. Eva is dumped in the river, and Honey is tied up, but manages to trick Haskew into putting Zain's battery back in his phone, and SOCA, Meadows, DC Mickey Webb and DS Phil Hunter and SO19 show up, the Colombian dealers and Alvarez give themselves up, but Haskew starts blind-firing into the air and he is shot dead by SO19. Zain and Kristen go to escape, after Zain frees Honey, but she tries to stop the couple escaping and during a struggle where Honey tries to arrest Kristen, a gun goes off and Honey is killed. Honey is pulled out a few days later and Zain tries to flee to Spain with Kristen, but with too much guilt on his mind, he gives himself up as SO19 close in on the two, Kristen tries to shoot Zain but he had already removed the bullets, and Zain and Kristen are subsequently arrested. Zain is then imprisoned for 10 years. He tries to act hard inside by beating up a guard to help cellmate and drug dealer Jason Forbes when Zain returned to the Sun Hill scene briefly in December 2007, when Jack Meadows comes across him in an investigation to dealing in his prison. When Forbes escapes Zain is briefly released to capture his cellmate. When Forbes is found, rather than escape he attempts to shoot Meadows. Zain attacks Forbes and pushes him downstairs to stop him shooting both of them. For saving his life, Meadows tells Zain he will arrange for him to serve the rest of his sentence at a new prison.

Nurse Tash Niles joined The Bill in early 2007 as a love interest for PC Lewis Hardy. When his grandmother moved back to Jamaica, Hardy was forced into finding a new flat, so PC Dan Casper gave him a list of nurses needing flatmates. Having assisted Hardy with uncooperative victim of a stabbing, she later needed to check Hardy after two injuries sustained by crashing into a medicine cart whilst chasing a suspect, then for falling on broken glass trying to arrest another. Niles acts sarcastically offended when Hardy accuses her of checking him out when she tells him to drop his pants to be checked over, and she is later amused when she discovers her new flatmate will be Hardy. Hardy's attempts to seduce Niles were boosted when her brother Rudy was arrested for possessing a dead man's skull. PC Reg Hollis suggested Hardy go the extra distance to help Rudy, and even offered to show him the skull deconstruction after pointing them in the direction of a drug dealer. Hardy's progress with Tash was halted when she accused him of beating up a haemophiliac suspect, however Hollis told her directly that Hardy fancied her, using his methods to help Rudy as proof. Niles and Hardy grew closer, however Hardy became frustrated as Rudy began following him around. When a gang member and former friend of Hardy & his cousin Dominic, Wesley Meeks, was shot dead, Niles heard him say Ray Moore. Taking this to mean Moore was Meeks' killer, DI Samantha Nixon took a statement off Niles, however Moore discovered this after being bailed due to lack of evidence, and had an associate beat her up. Despite this, she pressed on, leading Moore to have Rudy shot. She took persuading by Hardy but decided to press on for Rudy's sake, but a lack of progress and Rudy's deteriorating condition led to Hardy take his own action, assaulting Moore and knocking him unconscious. When Hardy told his cousin Dominic, he informed the Sken gang and a cousin of Wesley Meeks, and Moore was thrown off the roof to his death from the multistory car park where Hardy assaulted him. Hardy considered confessing and brought a resignation to Superintendent John Heaton, however Heaton told him not to waste his career, with Moore's killers fatally overdosing on lethal coke stolen from the late crime boss. Niles was last seen in a non-speaking role quietly embracing Hardy outside Sun Hill; while it was never confirmed, Niles stated in the previous episode that Rudy wasn't expected to be alive in 24 hours, and hence it was implied that Rudy died of his injuries. She wasn't seen after Moore's death, and Hardy didn't mention her in the episodes prior to his transfer from Sun Hill to Operation Trident a few weeks later, so their relationship status remains unknown.

Acting DI, later DS, and later DI Samantha Nixon was originally from Enfield, Middlesex. She was a measured person both professionally and emotionally and because of that could be accused of being closed down emotionally. Fiercely intelligent, Samantha had two degrees, a first in psychology, after five years of studying through the Open University, and a 2:1 in criminology after that. She was academically interested in police work and prior to joining Sun Hill, had trained in criminal profiling but had failed to be accepted into the Met's profiling team. Sam was by far one of the most capable of candidates but she suspected she was the victim of sexual discrimination and never quite came to terms with that. Samantha is a single mother, and maintains a friendship, rather than a typical mother-daughters relationship, with Abigail. She had developed a tough emotional resilience in bringing Abigail up, but it was not a relationship without problems. Sam was so busy analysing everyone else that she did not have time to analyse and understand herself, or her rebellious daughter. In the station, Sam was too clever to be drawn into office politics, earning Meadows's respect and trust. However, she was constantly trying to prove her worth and that could sometimes get the better of her usually sound judgement. Samantha's choice of subjects was a clear indication that she was almost obsessed about understanding the world around her. Her instinctive skill at reading people earned her an "off limits" tag by some people, afraid that she might find something out about them, so she occasionally felt isolated from the department but had the emotional resilience to cope with that. She had few real friends in Sun Hill, and her relationship with Gina Gold was probably the closest that came to friendship. Both harboured a mutual respect after recognising a little of themselves in each other; qualities such as instinct, a no-nonsense resilience and a steely self-belief designed to protect themselves from the prejudices of a police service still quietly regarded as a man's world. Intensely ambitious, Samantha was devastated when she was passed over for the permanent position of DI, having been Acting DI for over a year. Although Okaro's reasons for not recommending her were perfectly legitimate (he felt she lacked experience as a manager), Samantha never quite believed that her gender did not play a part in the decision. When DI Neil Manson arrived at Sun Hill, Samantha's ongoing feud with Phil Hunter was superseded by a new determination to prove herself more capable than her boss. Samantha became paranoid that Neil was trying to get rid of her and her eagerness to prove herself led her to make mistakes. That relationship was further complicated by the fact that she found herself inexplicably attracted to him. In many ways he was everything she admired: cool, calm, ambitious and not afraid to put his money where his mouth was. The two eventually overcame their initial difficulties and developed a healthy rapport, particularly once Sam regained her rank and worked alongside him on an equal footing. Sam left Sun Hill in June 2009 and was transferred to the Child Exploitation Unit.

Police Constable later Sergeant Diane Noble joined the police force after leaving the army, where she was a corporal. It is soon revealed that Diane has a 12-year-old son, Robert, but she does not see him much because he lives with his father. It is believed that at some point in her career, Diane served with Superintendent John Heaton in the same police station. This leads some of the relief to question whether Diane is loyal to her colleagues or whether she is more loyal to Superintendent Heaton and senior officers. Recently, Diane took some time out from Sun Hill to spend more time with her son. Upon her return in April 2009, she was promoted to Sergeant to replace Rachel Weston, now inspector. She later transferred to Barton Street.

Superintendent later Chief Superintendent Adam Okaro, a man in his late forties, was a strong but caring leader who was not scared to take full responsibility for his actions. His commitment to the job got respect of the officers of Sun Hill in a short time. Adam joined the police after graduating with a first class honours in political history. His career choice was applauded by his family but greeted with less enthusiasm by his friends. He quickly moved up the ranks in uniform and CID. He became Chief Inspector in the West End and after a brief spell as Superintendent in Croydon, moved to Sun Hill to take over from now deceased Tom Chandler. After nearly four years at Sun Hill as Superintendent, he was promoted to Borough Commander.

CSE Eddie Olosunje has always been a charmer, and snaps at every chance he gets to get together with a woman. He is a big softie, and despite laying on the charm with the ladies, he does not reveal much about his personal life. He is a Crime Scene Examiner who is often used to solve any crimes where forensic evidence is necessary. He uses humour as a way of making light of situations, often very serious. This humour is known to wind up some officers, although others enjoy his input. He struck up a friendship with DC Jo Masters, leading to him asking her out. Jo found this amusing due to her sexual orientation, of which Eddie clearly was not aware. She later took him out for a drink to explain the reasons behind her rejection and so that they could remain friends. Since then he showed interest in Kezia Walker, Samantha Nixon and Grace Desari.

PC Gemma Osbourne always wanted to be a cop. She served her two years' probation with Greater Manchester Constabulary then transferred to the Met expecting bright lights but getting leafy Surrey. Feeling isolated and home sick, she discovered a flair for driving and a fondness for nicking disorderly motorists. After four years on a response team, she successfully applied to become a 'black rat' and joined Met 315 Traffic Patrol. There, she excelled, flying through motorcycle, advanced driving and vehicle inspection courses. Not only could she drive anything put in front of her, she could strip down a vehicle and put it back together again. She had also passed her Sergeant's Exams and was often 'acting' Sergeant. Gemma arrived at Sun Hill as part of the Commissioner's initiative to get traffic patrol officers back in the boroughs dealing with street crime. Having spent four years on driving duties, with little supervision and seeing hardly any crime, it was quite a culture shock. But ever the optimistic, Gemma got a kick out of knowing she was far more qualified than fellow area car drivers, Tony and Des. Her zest for life and irreverent sense of humour immediately broke down barriers. Her energy was infectious to some but hugely irritating to others, but at the end of the day, she was a tenaciously loyal friend – cross her though, and she could be a bitter enemy with a razor-sharp tongue. Gemma was openly gay and a member of the Lesbian And Gay Police Association. She spotted homophobia a mile off, but being amiable, attractive and good at her job, she did not suffer much direct prejudice. She was, however, fully aware she was regarded as different, and made a conscious decision to celebrate it. Gemma did not last long at Sun Hill however. Torn between her conscience and the role of policewoman, she let a refugee and her daughter go free instead of reporting them to Customs. As a result, she was seriously reprimanded by Inspector Gold, who questioned her suitability for the job. Gemma left the force pending the outcome of an MRI scan following a sustained beating outside the station several weeks earlier.

PC Polly Page joins the relief as a PC near the end of her probationary period, transferring from B relief. She is already familiar with Sun Hill's ground. Polly comes from Bermondsey and her dedication is unwavering. A Londoner through and through, she sets her sights on tackling the low-life of the metropolis, not on migrating to more parochial climes. Gutsy, sharp, with a keen south London humour, she has few illusions about the job and is eager in all its aspects. Her keenness means that she sometimes takes risks, dives in and gets herself hurt. But she is not gung-ho like some of the male officers, and is usually good at standing back and assessing the situation. She has been specially trained to deal with rape cases and her naturally compassionate nature makes her ideal for the role of "chaperone". Bright and brave, officers do not come more caring or conscientious than Polly. But her love life is quite a different story. Her life revolves completely around her job, which she sees as far more important than any boyfriend. Secretly she is yearning for "Mr Right", although an affair with ex-colleague Dave Quinnan does little for her confidence, and nearly results in her taking her own life. She returns to Sun Hill after a year's personal leave to join CSU, but after assisting the euthanasia of a doctor she had befriended, Polly finds herself sentenced for murder. However, after being cleared on appeal, she is exonerated and returns to Sun Hill as a CAD operator. Far from front-line policing, it proves to be quite an adjustment. She never quite gets used to being stuck in the station. Exploited by a local journalist, who seduces her to get a story, the final straw comes when Polly visits Cathy Bradford in a secure unit to lay her own demons to rest. It has quite the opposite effect, deluded Cathy believes she is undercover in prison and taunts Polly for not being senior enough to discuss the operation. Realising that she can never command the respect she once had, Polly decides to leave Sun Hill and make a new start elsewhere.[3]

PC Danesh Patel came from a large, close-knit, Hindu family. He had a happy religious upbringing and his parents instilled him with a clear sense of right and wrong. Joining the police was never a 'calling', but he thrived working as part of a team and knew that he would enjoy the camaraderie of the relief. Patel was often the subject of wind-ups from fellow officers, but it was never an issue for him – he saw it as a way of cementing his place in the team. He was a polite, efficient and conscientious cop, if a little young and impressionable. Patel has the distinction of being Sun Hill's shortest serving officer, working at the station for only two months in 1987.

DS Danny Pearce looked like a villain and he could think like one, too – which made him very useful in Sun Hill CID. He had no problem with any of the police practices, come to that. A cop for the 1990s, that was him. Or rather, that's what he had chosen as his image. Scratch the surface, and there was a regular, ambitious, capable cop, one who was not averse to landing a colleague in trouble if that way he himself escaped. That's what he did to Loxton, when his snout's information led Johnson to head a drugs bust in completely the wrong place. He could be snide about his colleagues, too – and it's a fair bet that he had skeletons in his closet at the nick in Romford where he worked previously. When Jarvis and McCann were having trouble making an arrest stick, he told them about his former sergeant whom he watched blatantly twisting the facts to secure a similar arrest. He transferred to AMIP, briefly returning to help Meadows investigate a murder in 1996.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Roy Pearson was the DAC for The Bill's representation of the Metropolitan Police from some time prior to 2004 until early 2005. Pearson was the father-in-law of Sun Hill DI Neil Manson, who was married to his daughter Phillipa. It is heavily implied that Manson got fast tracked to DI in his career thanks to Pearson's connections, with Manson once starting a fight with DS Phil Hunter when he subtly told him he only got to where he was because of Pearson. During Pearson's first appearance, a friend of DCI Jack Meadows met Meadows at a private club, where he pointed Pearson out to Meadows. His friend told Meadows that Pearson was often seen in the company of young boys. Meadows, who was warring with Manson over the latter's dislike for DC Eva Sharpe, tried to use his knowledge of Pearson's indiscretion to gain an edge over Manson. Pearson denied the allegations, and when DS Debbie McAllister told Manson that Meadows had an affair with an escort on trial for GBH, Manson forced Sharpe out of CID.

A year later, a rent-boy was arrested by DCs Jo Masters and Suzie Sim, and he was cocky about having a contact at New Scotland Yard. When Sim demanded a name for the contact, he gave Pearson's. Sim told Meadows, who said he would inform Manson of the allegation, but Sim let it slip before he could and he warned Meadows if it was a lie he would end his DCI's career. When Manson confronted Pearson, he abruptly resigned and emigrated to Spain.

Later in the year, Pearson reappeared in the country after his daughter Phillipa defended suspected pimp Gavin Sullivan in court as his solicitor. When he was bailed, DC Masters uncovered a rent-boy ring that Pearson was implicated in. Manson confronted his wife and she admitted she knew her father was back in the country. When Pearson called on Manson's affair with deceased PC and undercover journalist Andrea Dunbar, Manson punched Pearson and told him that regardless of his indiscretions he never slept with an underage boy, making Pearson realise that he was taped by Sullivan. Confronting Sullivan, who was blackmailing Pearson, but Pearson was fatally stabbed. Finding the tapes in Gavin's flat, Manson was horrified to discover it was Pearson sleeping with an underage boy. When Phillipa discovered it was her husband's comments that led to Pearson going to Gavin's, she attacked him in front of Manson's Superintendent, Amanda Prosser, before telling him their marriage was over. Prosser arranged for Manson to transfer to MIT, however he later returned to Sun Hill after a colleague was arrested for murder, feeling he couldn't work against his old colleagues. Pearson was likely replaced by Georgia Hobbs, who made her first on-screen appearance in spring 2006.

Sergeant Tom Penny was a quiet man who had more going on under the surface than most people realised. He upset a few people when he tried to impose a ban on smoking at Sun Hill, and Bob Cryer realised he was under some strain when his wife turned up and asked for help: Tom was beating her. At the end of 1987, Penny was shot in the stomach after investigating a complaint about a crazy woman who kept cats. He survived, but when he returned to work he was constantly swallowing painkillers washed down with alcohol to deaden the pain of the wound. He confessed to Cryer that he did have a drink problem, and Cryer tried to help. But when Penny was working in an overheated CAD room, being irritated by a chattering electrician, he spilled his coffee over the computer, put it out of action and blew his top. It became clear that Tom needed more convalescence. He was the hero of the Canley Fields child-murders investigation, bringing the killer in and slowly working through the confession. But the details played on his mind. Driving home from the party to mark Cryer's 20 years' service, he was stopped, breathalysed and found to be over the legal limit. His reputation ruined, he decided that the best course was to resign on medical grounds, citing the old gunshot wound. It was a frame-up, but he was out of the force. He returned to Sun Hill in 1991 when he was working as a security officer, still claiming to be a police officer.

DC Terry Perkins joined the police to get back at sex offenders after being victim to abuse as a child, along with his brother Ben. Prior to joining Sun Hill, he worked at Barton Street Station as a Public Protection Officer. Shortly before transferring across Canley to Sun Hill, he was a SOIT officer for Laura Meadows when she was raped. She was taken to Barton Street by Sergeant June Ackland, as she was once married to Sun Hill DCI Jack Meadows. He transferred to Sun Hill after the death of DC Juliet Becker and transfer of DC Mickey Webb to MIT, heading up PPU in coordination with the Community Safety Unit, headed by DS Ramani DeCosta. In his first major case since joining Sun Hill, Superintendent Adam Okaro sent Perkins undercover in prison to infiltrate a paedophilia ring, with the ringleader suspected of murdering a boy before he was sent down. De Costa also went undercover as a prison counseller, and when Perkins tells a "story" about a boy his undercover persona abused, a prisoner officer tells De Costa he thinks Perkins was talking about himself. De Costa tries to get Perkins to open up about his abuse, and is later horrified when he confronts his abuser, Malcolm Willard. Perkins goes to see his brother Ben, who is later found trying to drown Willard. Perkins stops him, but a few hours later Willard is found dead in a sniper shooting. Perkins and De Costa pair to track down Ben, and find his rifle missing. After an armed showdown, Ben is arrested by DI Rowanne Morell. Ben is cleared of the shooting, but when his son Bradley is suspected of inappropriately assaulting a woman, Perkins suspects Ben might be abusing his two sons. Ben goes into hiding after finding out what his brother is alleging, but Perkins manages to track him down again. After Perkins gets Ben's wife Lucy to open up, Ben is arrested and remanded in custody; at trial he is found guilty and sent to prison.

Soon after the station fire in 2005, Perkins started helping De Costa when she became victim to a stalker, station cleaner Margaret Barnes. When De Costa is arrested for harassment, after Barnes twisted the scenario, Perkins tells all to DCI Meadows, who arranges a transfer for Barnes. A bipolar sufferer, Barnes has a breakdown and arms herself with knife. Perkins finds her at De Costa's house with slit wrists. As he goes to help, Perkins is stabbed in the stomach and collapses. De Costa is told by St. Hugh's nurse Nick Austin that the blood on Barnes is not all hers. De Costa works out that Barnes was at her house and races to the scene, finding Perkins critically injured. Perkins recovered, and while he was off sick he was cared for by Ben's wife Lucy. In the build-up to Ben's trial, Lucy let slip to De Costa that she had begun a romance with Perkins, driving a wedge between the close friendship of De Costa and Perkins. When Ben was due to be released from prison, his son Bradley ran away after discovering the romance between Perkins and Lucy. After Bradley was found, Perkins ended his relationship with Lucy, leaving her heartbroken.

During a siege at the station, Perkins bonded with his captor, a grieving father whose son was killed in a car crash. A few months after the incident, and his break-up with Lucy, he took the captor's advice to visit his estranged children, advice De Costa also passed on when she left Sun Hill in early 2006. Perkins first visited his daughter Holly, who despite her reluctance, opened up after being arrested for drugs possession. Their relationship briefly hit the rocks when she began a romance with PC Lewis Hardy, however it only lasted a few weeks, as Hardy became fed up with her constantly calling and texting him. After bonding with his son Shaun, he ended up getting close to his ex-wife, Helen. Despite her reluctance, his hard work on reuniting a family being tormented by a smuggler made him determined to reunite his own family, and Perkins told Helen he wanted them to get back together. After her husband David found out, he assaulted Perkins, and Helen decided to end her marriage with David.

Perkins was caught up in a second siege at the station when an old informant gave him info on an armed robbery. When the ringleader found out, he shot Perkins' informant dead, causing Perkins to get drunk. When he was taken into custody to sober up, two gunmen stormed the station trying to break out two prisoners. During the siege, the armed robber who shot Perkins' informant dead manages to escape, and during the release of a hostage, he cons a gunman into giving up his gun, who he then shoots dead. Perkins set out to nail him by posing as a prisoner who escaped in the chaos, setting a fire in the canteen to gain his trust. When his identity is rumbled, the gunman escapes in the chaos of the fire, but Perkins tracks him down and arrests him for murder.

In 2007, Perkins had a new supervisor come into CID, DS Max Carter. While they initially bonded on the armed robbery prior to the siege, their relationship soured when they investigated the fatal stabbing of a businesswoman. Carter used an old friend, a priest, to get info on the suspects. When Perkins accuses Carter of protecting his old friend after the priest is caught lying, they end up having a fight outside CID, which began a long-term feud between the pair. In 2010 when Carter was caught using cocaine by DC Webb, Perkins set about getting Carter to resign, threatening he'd expose his addiction if he didn't confess. Carter conned his way to getting out of the corner Perkins backed him into, and told Perkins when he returned from a brief period of leave that he no longer had evidence to prove his addiction. Soon after this encounter, Perkins told an old friend working in the prison system that he was considering retirement. This scene aired in early August 2010, a handful of episodes before the series finale, so it is unknown if Perkins did end up retiring that year, or if he remained at Sun Hill long-term.

Directorate of Public Affairs Officer Mia Perry was a semi-regular character introduced into the cast in 2006, played by Jo-Anne Knowles. The character first appeared in the episode "Missing - Part 1" (15 February 2006) and made her last appearance in the episode "Better Off Dead" (14 June 2007).

Mia was a press officer who handled the station's links with the local newspapers, introduced in the episode "Missing - Part 1" (Episode 390). She was first assigned to Sun Hill to act as press liaison for the Amy Tennant case, but subsequently struck up a relationship with Mickey Webb and decided to stay on to handle all of the station's press releases. Mickey initially failed to warm to Mia, even sleeping with DI Steph Radcliffe from MIT whilst they were in the early stages of their relationship. However, Mickey eventually saw the error of his ways and subsequently remained faithful to Mia.

Mia later became somewhat of a civilian detective, acting as liaison and gathering evidence in order to assist Mickey with some of his more trickier cases. In 2007, Mia strikes up a secret relationship with John Heaton behind Mickey's back. When Mickey discovers the affair, he confronts John and ends up giving him a bloody nose. John chose to not pursue charges against Mickey under the order of Jack Meadows, but subsequently chose to fire Mia in an attempt to keep the affair under wraps. Mia last appeared in the episode "Better Off Dead".

Sergeant Alec Peters was an old-fashioned officer. He was one of the original three sergeants at Sun Hill along with Bob Cryer and Tom Penny. He was a friend of Bob's, though in some ways Alec saw Bob as a rival. The two men were both up for the post of Duty Sergeant. Peters turned it down; Cryer accepted it. By contrast to Tom Penny, Peters was a jovial sort, not averse to sharing a laugh and a joke with the Relief. Alec was genial and friendly, though not above a little petty jealousy. But like Penny's, his health and career went downhill after he was the victim of violence. Peters was stabbed in the stomach by a kid on drugs while out on a housing-estate raid. He recovered eventually but was never mentally or physically the same, needing to resort to pills and the occasional strong drink on duty. The incident had such a profound effect on him that he was moved 'upstairs' to a desk job as Duty Sergeant where he could quietly see out the remaining years to his retirement. After moving to this role, he was seen in a handful of episodes in his new capacity in 1992, where he appeared content and regained his light-hearted personality. Alec was present for Ted Roach's funeral in September 2004, where he helped Jack Meadows and Bob Cryer solve the mystery of Ted's death. By this time, Alec had retired from the force and seemed much more like his old jovial self.

PC Lance Powell joined the Metropolitan Police to make a difference – he grew up in a tough neighbourhood and knew first hand what effect crime has on a community – especially the black community. He immediately joined the Met's Christian Police Association when he went to Hendon; but did not join the Black Police Association, which raised a couple of eyebrows amongst his colleagues. Yvonne does not have a chip on her shoulder about being black and recommended that Lance got on best with a 'just get on with it' attitude. Others, on the other hand sided with Lance when they started to perceive what they saw as bullying behaviour towards the young recruit from Supt. Okaro. This initially made Lance feel uncomfortable but he was always one who saw the best in people so he let it wash over him. Lance was also gay but did not flaunt his sexuality at work – but if someone posed the question he was honest with them; he was perfectly happy with his partner Mark, a CO19 Sergeant. Lance was comfortable with his sexuality because he had found a way of squaring it with his religious faith and cultural background, although his friends initially struggled to come to terms with his decision. He was essentially a nice, down-to-earth bloke; his calm, easy-going manner quickly won him friends and allies around the station. That was why the relief took it so badly when the news of his murder was announced, for Lance was the victim of a gay serial killer operating in Sun Hill.

DC Tom Proctor arrived at Sun Hill, fresh from his DC's exams. It was his first posting as a fully fledged DC, after he had served as a trainee-investigator at Harringay. In his mid to late twenties, Proctor was keen, sharp and ambitious – and far from naive. But he was a likeable lad and, above all, an enthusiastic officer. He wanted to get the right result, but also wanted to carve out a good career for himself – and he knew from experience the advantages of cultivating links with Uniform, who could supply much of the information he needed. Daly was delighted to have a keen new DC on board who was bang up to date with the law – and this put Skase's nose right out of joint. Proctor made friends with the people he was trying to nick so that they opened to him, and showed a great deal more tact and insight in his dealings with the public than Skase ever did, which provoked a natural rivalry between the two men. Proctor was not usually abrasive and would bide his time before passing judgement, but he occasionally clashed with officers like Carver and Lines whom he considered "dinosaurs" – and was not afraid to tell them so. He was quickly accepted in the department though and Deakin recognised the value of Proctor's canniness and took him under his wing. However, it was not all plain-sailing for him. After bungling several cases in 2000, which in one case caused a car crash with two police cars which Sgt Matt Boyden and WPC Vicky Hagen were in but escaped with minor cuts. Deakin and Meadows threatened to transfer Proctor back to uniform. His last ditched attempt to redeem himself failed due to Dave Quinnan's interference and he was subsequently transferred to Isleworth CSU. Actor Gregory Donaldson shared his memories of playing Proctor in a two-part interview for The Bill Podcast

Superintendent Amanda Prosser arrived at Sun Hill as a replacement for Adam Okaro, after he took leave when his wife and children were killed in a car accident. During her time at Sun Hill, Jeff Clarke, a stressed father, took Superintendent Prosser hostage in the CID office for not listening to him. When DCI Jack Meadows challenges her about the shooting of PC Casper, she tells him "You were not there, DCI Meadows, you are in no position to pass judgement". Suspended Inspector Gina Gold is asked by Superintendents Prosser and Okaro to be the hostage negotiator until the proper negotiators turn up. Gina tries to contact DC Terry Perkins via a police radio, but Clarke catches him with a wireless microphone in his ear and ties him up, telling him about what he did with the boy who had killed his son, Jake. Sergeant Rollins of CO19 advises Prosser that they could shoot Clarke, but Prosser is concerned about the CID officers. She speaks to Okaro, and says, "Look, I know the siege is getting stronger and I know I am not the one to end it. I have already spoken to the Borough Commander and he is an agreement for you to come back. This is your station Adam, you should be back here running it." Clarke tells Perkins that he had hit his son, and that the boy had run out into the street where he had been run over. Perkins recalls that Clarke had told of a man in Iraq who put him in the boot of a car and told him it was wired and realises that Clarke has done the same to Ashley Morgan. DS Phil Hunter and DC Zain Nadir rescue Morgan from Clarke's Peugeot 406. On hearing on the radio that Morgan is alive, Clarke attempts to strangle Perkins and points the gun to his head. Rollins shouts to Okaro "SHOT ON", and Okaro authorizes the subsequent shot. Prosser is pictured leaving the station quietly with her suitcase and belongings as Sergeant Smith examines Clarke but unfortunately, there was no response and was pronounced dead at the scene by both Sgt Smith and the SO19 officers.

• 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