Allen Debdale

Allen Debdale was an IC1 male who was an Area Manager for a warehousing company. He was a single father having split from his younger wife who moved abroad.

Debdale1 — Allen Debdale with his son Warren.

In July 2001, Allen's son Warren was attacked by a group of thugs with baseball bats and admitted to St Hugh's Hospital. Initially Warren disagrees with his father and doesn't want to press charges when interviewed by PC Des Taviner and PC Roz Clarke.

Allen tells the officers he believes the attack is related to drugs and Warren's friend Johnno who lives on Ryman Road and pleads with Clarke for her to be able to do something.

Later, when Warren is persuaded to press charges by Clarke, Allen changes his mind, telling his son that he doesn't want his name in the papers and storms out of Warren's hospital room. Warren's nurse, Ruth Mitcham, tells Clarke that she overheard Allen talking on his mobile phone in the visitors room and he sounded like he was being threatened.

As part of the investigation, DC Danny Glaze visits Allen's workplace and speaks with a security guard called Eric who remembers seeing Allen early one morning helping out in the warehouse which was very out of character.

Debdale3 — Allen Debdale speak with Clarke and Taviner.

When Warren goes missing from St Hugh's, Allen initially visits Johnno's flat before arriving at Sun Hill claiming his son has been abducted. He then reveals he caught contraband coming through his warehouse and took money to keep quiet but then tried to pull out of the operation.

CID launch an OBBO on the warehouse and later tail John 'Beano' Benson and Allen joins DC Duncan Lennox in his car. When Benson is arrested, Allen attempts to attack him for what has happened to his son. Warren is later found having hidden himself away and the father and son confront each other in the Custody area where Warren tells his dad he no longer wants anything to do with him. (Temptation)

Notes[]

Allen Debdale was portrayed by actor Richard Hope in his second appearance on the series. He would later join the main cast of Murder Investigation Team as DS Barry Purvis before returning to The Bill in the recurring role of Rod Jessop.