| Episode No. | Series | |
| 1121 | 1997x004 |
Bad Debt is the 1121st episode of The Bill
One of Beech's old acquaintances, George Talbot, turns up expecting help after being burgled. George is not the sort of person that Beech should be seen to associate with however, as he is a 'money-lender'. Unfortunately he greets Beech as a friend which arouses Croft's suspicion about their relationship but Croft agrees to keep quiet. D.C.I. Meadows overhears Croft joking about Beech's shady friends, and calls him to his office, warning him that his 'acquaintances' are arousing comments from uniform.
Talbot is desperate to retrieve a Filofax stolen in the burglary as it contains vital details on his clients. In fact he is so eager to retrieve it that he promises Beech he'll drop all charges if it's returned and Beech agrees to turn a blind eye.
Sgt. Ackland and W.P.C. Page respond to an anonymous 999 call about a woman being assaulted in her home. When they get to the address they talk to the householder Janet and her daughter Lorna. Lorna tells them it must have been a prank call and that she got the bruise to her face from walking into a door. Ackland and Page do not believe her but, in the absence of a complaint, they return to Sun Hill.
Lorna comes into the station to talk to Ackland and Page and tells them that a man hit her because her mum didn't have the money he claimed she owed him. Janet calls in at the station looking for Lorna, and Ackland and Page persuade her to tell what really happened. Janet reveals that the man had said he worked for Talbot and that he was there to collect what she owed. When she told him that she didn't have all that she owed, but could get it, he said he would be back later to collect. After talking to Talbot and to Beech, Ackland and Page realise that the man who threatened Janet was also the one who stole Talbot's records. They talk to Janet and she reluctantly agrees to let them wait in her house so they can arrest him when he returns.
When the Filofax is eventually found Beech asks Croft for it and Croft has no choice but to give it to him. Beech returns George's Filofax to him on the quiet but he is furious that the vital pages are missing and blames Beech. Beech retorts that he should think himself lucky and shouldn't take friendships for granted. By way of punishment Beech drops the missing pages into Croft's waste paper bin.
Credits[]
- D.S. Beech - Billy Murray
- W.D.C Croft - Kerry Peers
- Sgt. Ackland - Trudie Goodwin
- W.P.C. Page - Lisa Geoghan
- D.C.I. Meadows - Simon Rouse
- D.I. Deakin - Shaun Scott
- D.C. Skase - Iain Fletcher
- Sgt. Boyden - Tony O'Callaghan
- P.C. Slater - Alan Westaway
- P.C. Garfield - Huw Higginson
- P.C. Jarvis - Stephen Beckett