Heartbeat - Season 12

When the team investigate a murder at a quarry, Ventress faces a few awkward questions about his murky past when the prime suspect turns out to be a major criminal whom he certified as dead 15 years previously. Meanwhile, Vernon surprises everyone by getting a "real" job at a department store after Blaketon issues him with a few home truths about his lifestyle. However, the entrepreneurial side of him re-awakens when the store is threatened with closure. Elsewhere, Tricia returns to work following her heart attack, and Mike's constant fussing makes it difficult for the village doctor to regain her confidence.

Mike and Bellamy uncover a heartbreaking tale of domestic abuse and family tragedy when they investigate a spate of unusual burglaries and learn that money can't buy a person happiness. Meanwhile, Vernon experiments with hypnotism when he tries to put an end to Gina's arachnophobia, but it soon backfires and has a very strange after-effect on David, while Merton and Jenny discover a mutual love of jazz.

Merton predicts an uneventful few days when the County Sheepdog Trials take place at Ashfordly Hall, but he is proven wrong when the prestigious event brings out the worst in one particular influential candidate, who hatches a plan to eliminate his rivals. Meanwhile, Vernon tries to impress Lord Ashfordly by organising the toilet facilities for the sheepdog trials, but he soon discovers the job entails more than putting up a tent or two.

Merton and Mike are left to pick up the pieces when a bankrupt farmer heads into Aidensfield to air his grievances in a memorable way when he is abandoned by everyone closest. Meanwhile, David's Auntie Beth's horseradish sauce becomes the subject of Vernon's latest get-rich-quick scheme, whilst Blaketon's warnings fall on deaf ear when Gina begins a whirlwind romance with a dangerous criminal.

Merton's singer-songwriter cousin arrives in Aidensfield with the aim of settling down after an eventful career, but her aspiring daughter disrupts her peaceful retirement when she falls pregnant. Meanwhile, Bellamy pursues a dangerous armed robber whom he single-handedly captured when the villain escapes whilst being transferred to Manchester, and David finds himself fending off the advances of a grieving daughter when an old man dies in his taxi.

Mike may live to regret ignoring a belligerent landowner's complaints when he takes the law into his own hands to deal with a group of ramblers who assume his land is a tourist spot. Meanwhile, Vernon undergoes a complete personality change when he receives a bang on the head following a minor car accident in Ventress' car, turning him from a money-driven disaster area to a pillar of the community. Whilst his many creditors are delighted by this radical change, David is left pining for the return of "the real Mr Vernon"

The team fear a killer is on the loose when a labourer known as "Dirty Len" dies of strychnine poisoning. A tragic chain of events are set in motion when Ventress establishes a connection to another suspicious death that took place on the same farm years previously. Meanwhile, David is led on a wild goose chase by his lurcher Alfred when he provides transport for a party of pensioner's day out in Whitby, whilst a local vet becomes caught in the middle of Jenny and Merton's rocky relationship.

A spate of tractor thefts has Mike and Bellamy running round in circles, but as Merton comes to suspect it's all an elaborate insurance fraud, matters take a turn for the worse. The robbers target Steve Calthrop's farm, and the loss of such a valuable piece of equipment proves to be the straw that breaks the camel's back, prompting a volatile domestic dispute and putting Tricia in mortal danger. Meanwhile, Vernon sets himself up in the landscape gardening trade. As usual, it's David who ends up doing all the work, which Vernon may live to regret when his hapless house mate tries to impress him by purchasing a Greek statue on the cheap.

There's much excitement in Aidensfield as Lord Ashfordly returns with a new wife in tow and throws a spectacular Christmas party to celebrate his marriage, and the villagers are pleasantly surprised when they discover how glamorous and charming she is. However, all is not well for the newly-weds as a series of violent hijackings leaves them shaken. Merton assigns Mike to act as a personal bodyguard for his Lordship's new lady, but the intrepid officer's suspicions are soon aroused by the blushing bride's decidedly odd behaviour. Meanwhile, Vernon's Christmas tree delivery service suffers a blow when David crashes the van, and the pair inadvertently jeopardise the future of Bernie's garage when Joyce Jowett requires their funeral service for her sister.

Mike joins forces with Scotland Yard when a gang of thieves turn up in Aidensfield, apparently plotting to steal a valuable horse from local trainer Kieron Doyle. When Tricia becomes linked with Kieron, the heroic copper doggedly pursues his quarry to the detriment of his relationship with the village doctor, leading to a tragic outcome with repercussions for everyone in Aidensfield. Meanwhile, Vernon is delighted when his long-lost sister Georgina arrives in Aidensfield. The female Scripps immediately sets hearts racing, especially with Lord Ashfordly. Vernon's attempt to take advantage of his sister's expensive lifestyle lands him in trouble when he discovers she hasn't been entirely honest regarding her recent divorce.

As the villagers mourn the passing of Tricia, a grief-stricken Mike loses his temper with an underage drinker in the pub, but it's the bobby who gets assaulted. The incident leads to the uncovering of a blackmail plot when the hooligan walks free from all charges thanks to his secret relationship with a local magistrate. Meanwhile, Vernon is delighted when an old flame pays him a visit asking him to help sell a priceless engagement ring, but his joy is short lived when her menacing husband turns out to be hot on her heels, bringing chaos in his wake. Elsewhere, Jenny is surprised by the rapid changeover at the surgery when Tricia's replacement, the elderly James Alway, turns up a day early.

Bellamy falls in love with a mugging victim, and the unlikely pair become the talk of the village as they go on a series of dates, but Bellamy learns a harsh lesson on reality when he discovers his new girlfriend is leading a double life, whilst Merton and the rest of the team attempt to track down porcelain figures stolen during a crime spree in Whitby. Meanwhile, Vernon persuades Lord Ashfordly to open up a wildlife park on his land with the assistance of a small circus, but they get more than they bargained for when a whole circus turns up and all the animals escape and run wild throughout Aidensfield.

Blaketon is back in Aidensfield following his time away and immediately finds himself embroiled into a dangerous investigation when Lord Ashfordly calls on his P.I. services when explosives go missing from the local quarry ahead of a Defence Minister's official visit, causing tensions to boil over and putting the former sergeant in mortal peril when he crosses swords with a deadly new foe. Meanwhile, Vernon, Bernie, David and Dr Alway become bell ringers at the local church, but they soon upset a local man when their practice sessions interfere with the sale of his cottage.

Vernon and David are involved in a serious car accident whilst driving a tanker filled with a mysterious substance, which pollutes the local reservoir and leaves everyone in Aidensfield struck down with a mysterious bug. Luckily, the staff of nearby St Aidan Royal Free hospital are on hand to offer assistance, but with Vernon apparently suffering with bouts of amnesia, tension boils over as the local authorities remain unaware of the truth behind the threat, and things escalate when David receives a threatening phonecall than puts both his and Vernon's lives in danger.

Jenny is delighted when her younger brother Steve pays a visit, but her excitement soon turns to despair when she notices what the local vicar is growing in his greenhouse after she secures Steve a job. Although she agrees to keep quiet, her troublesome sibling seeks to exploit the situation for his own gain, threatening his put-upon sister's relationship with Merton. Meanwhile, a gang of Mods begin causing havoc in the village and gain an unlikely new recruit - David!

As Mike begins his first assignment as a CID officer, his replacement, northerner Steve Crane, rides into Aidensfield to take on the role of village bobby, but Ventress thinks the youngster is too eager to prove his worth as he investigates a spate of farm break-ins, whilst Mike grows disillusioned with CID work when he takes on a surveillance operation involving the girlfriend of an armed robber. Meanwhile, Vernon tries to impress the new village doctor, Liz Merrick, with his community spirit when she attempts to prove herself to the late Tricia Summerbee's regular patients who are against the idea of a new doctor taking over.

Mike's informant tells him that two local hoodlums are planning to raid a shipment of gold bullion from Haworth Point: prompting Shiner to set up an ambush to catch the would-be thieves, but a mix-up with the exact location leaves Mike trying to regain the respect of his CID superior by going it alone to investigate further. Meanwhile, Steve is tasked with protecting Gina's wayward niece Susie from her aggressive boyfriend, who has escaped from a young offenders after stabbing a prison guard. Elsewhere, Vernon and David take on the job of redecorating Liz Merrick's waiting room, but she is far from pleased with the results when David is left to use his initiative, whilst a local busybody takes a shine to Bernie, whilst Bellamy gains a new admirer.

In celebration of her forthcoming wedding, a bride-to-be embarks on her hen night at Whitby Funfair, where a clairvoyant gives her information linked to the death of her father, who went missing in action in the 1940s, prompting her to postpone the wedding until his body has been found. When she is found injured on the moors a few days later, Merton and the team investigate and find themselves incurring the wrath of the Ministry of Defence. Meanwhile, a bogus police officer begins causing havoc in Ashfordly. As Mike tries to lure the imposter into a trap, he is left with a dilemma when the troublemaker catches Bellamy filling in for Gina after hours at the pub.

The Ashfordly team has two unlikely new recruits in the shape of two young boys dressed as Batman and Robin, who have spotted criminal activity on a derelict farm, whilst Mike is busy pursuing a criminal gang who have flooded Aidensfield and neighbouring villages with counterfeit money. Meanwhile, Liz faces an unsettling reunion with a former patient with a very personal vendetta when she begins receiving disturbing late night phone-calls. Elsewhere, Vernon is delighted when he inherits his late aunt Aggie's house.

The residents of Aidensfield are terrorised by a ruthless marksman with a sniper, who begins his reign of terror by murdering Liz's ex-boyfriend, a newly arrived doctor she dumped after he refused to tell his wife about their affair. While she attempts to comfort the victim's bereaved spouse, Bellamy is the next target, but luckily escapes with a flesh wound. Merton and DI Shiner fear the target is the police force itself when they discover the assailant is using an Army-issue weapon. As the team race to prevent another innocent killing, Mike receives a life-changing job offer that will shape his career in the force. Meanwhile, a newcomer in a Bentley limousine makes a big impression on Gina and David for two very different reasons.

Steve, Liz and Gina try to help a feisty old lady called Lily, whose farm becomes the target of vandals and petty thieves. However, she is not grateful for their interference. Undeterred, Gina sends her niece Susie to help out, and she proves more than a match for Lily's feisty spirit. When vandalism escalates into arson, Steve suspects the culprit's motive is more complicated than mere mindless violence. Meanwhile, David finds himself behind bars when he joins Jenny, Blaketon and a number of other villagers in protest against the high number of lorries rumbling through the village on their way to Jim Pinder's quarry, whilst Vernon becomes public enemy number 1 when he becomes Pinder's chauffeur.

Steve Crane's eccentric mother Babs arrives in Aidensfield, having burnt her bridges with her screenwriter boyfriend and grown tired of the London arts scene. She proves to be a big hit with the locals, especially with Blaketon and Vernon, who finally has an amazing change of fortune after purchasing one of her paintings, but she is soon causing all manner of chaos when a spate of burglaries provide her with the ideal opportunity to put her self-defence skills into practice, leaving Merton both exasperated and impressed. Meanwhile, history repeats itself once again for Gina when she begins dating a guest at the pub who immediately gets on the wrong side of an overprotective and suspicious Blaketon.

A dying ex-con kidnaps Jenny in a plan to force old nemesis Merton into giving him the identity of the informant responsible for his 8-year prison sentence, but things don't go according to plan when the sergeant discovers the man in question has long since died, worsening the fragile criminal's state of mind and putting Jenny in even greater danger. With Merton pre-occupied, Steve and the rest of the team are left to investigate a spate of sports car thefts. Meanwhile, Vernon is enjoying his new-found wealth and influence as he invites himself to join Blaketon at a charity function held by Sir Nigel in aid of an old people's home. After befriending Nigel, he tries to impress by suggesting to organise a charity antique sale. As ever, events don't quite go to plan and all hopes for an MBE are dashed, whilst old passions are rekindled between Gina and Bellamy.

Merton organises a search of the moors after a farming couple are reported missing, leaving Jenny and Liz to look after their bemused children, whilst Gina and Bellamy take over at the farm. Meanwhile, Vernon decides to treat his nearest and dearest following his windfall, and takes a reluctant Bernie to a posh country hotel.

Lord Ashfordly's sister Patricia returns to Aidensfield with a renowned Polish musician and his daughter, intending to stage a concert at the village hall, but disaster strikes when one of the violinist's expensive instruments is stolen, and whilst investigating the theft, Steve falls in love with the musician's daughter, which doesn't go down to well with her father. Meanwhile, Vernon and Bernie's shady Liverpudlian cousins, Big and Little Jim, show up in Aidensfield and try to take advantage of their cousin's wealth by persuading him to make a hefty investment. Gina rumbles their scheme, but faces a tough job in persuading Vernon that his cousins are out to fleece him. Elsewhere, Merton is delighted when Jenny finally accepts his marriage proposal.