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Tom Chandler
D     E     C     E     A     S     E     D
Superintendent Tom Chandler

Superintendent Tom Chandler

Birth Name: Thomas
Full Name: Thomas William Chandler
Nickname(s): Tom
IC: GenderAge
1Male   Male40
Date of Birth: Ca. 1962
Date of Death: October 2002
Sun Hill Police Station
Occupation: Police Officer
Affiliation: Metropolitan Police
Curr. Posting: Sun Hill
Curr. Rank: Superintendent
Curr. Call Sign: Sierra Oscar 5-2
Epaulette No.Occ. Status
SO 52DECEASED
●  Service Record  ●
Portrayed by:Steven Hartley
 ● First Appearance: 2000x071 -
On The Hook, Part 1
 ● Last Appearance: 2002x064 - Episode 053
List of Appearances

Tom Chandler was a character in The Bill from 2000 until 2002.

Profile[]

1664

Tom Chandler is confronted by Mickey Webb.

Personally recommended by Chief Superintendent Guy Mannion, Tom Chandler replaced Charles Brownlow in late 2000 as the Superintendent at Sun Hill, specifically brought in after the Don Beech corruption scandal to restore the station's name.

Chandler appeared to be the charming and professional new face of Sun Hill, but he harboured a dark secret under the visor of the "new broom" brought in to sweep up Sun Hill. Chandler loved power, and he wanted to have his way in every matter of the station: Chandler had a dislike for Sergeant Bob Cryer, an aging but experienced officer, and when Cryer was shot he saw this as a good excuse to get rid of him. Another he disliked was Dale Smith. When he had been under scrutiny for supposedly telling an elderly man to shoot a teenage yob harassing him, he attacked the only witness PC Nick Klein, Smith was suspended, and after Smith cleared up the investigation off work, Chandler gave Smith 'a glowing reference' to transfer to SO19, and when a cynical DI Alex Cullen asked if rewarding Smith was a good idea, Chandler responded by saying that was the best way to get rid of him and that Smith was far too dangerous to have at Sun Hill.

Chandler's true colours started to emerge when he engaged in an ongoing and illicit affair with the attractive and young DC Kate Spears.

Racial tensions in Sun Hill began developing (which Chandler handled quite badly), and after making the strategy of using low profile uniform policing Chandler was asked to address Asian community leaders on the issues in public however he would rather entertain Spears so he sent his next in line, Chief Inspector Derek Conway. After the meeting, as Conway left and got into his car, a motor bike pulled up and a man threw a petrol bomb into it, instantly killing Conway and incinerating the car.

In honour, a fund was set up for the late Conway and all donated, and to glorify himself PC Des Taviner came across some confiscated money and "donated" it to the fund, oblivious to the fact that it was actually counterfeit. He soon realised the terrible truth and decided he needed to get the fake cash back before it was traced back to him.

Tensions towards the Superintendent had arisen in the preceding months and this was worsened when it was discovered why Chandler sent Conway to the meeting Mickey Webb stumbled across Spears and Chandler kissing and accused him of having an affair while Conway died and asked him what Scotland Yard would make of this affair. Spears realized she had been only Chandler's toy and made a promise that she would reveal the true personality of the Superintendent once and for all hence ending his job. However this was not to be.

The racial conflict had continued, and the police were becoming the enemy. After another incident where June Ackland was attacked and tied up, Chandler brought in the Territorial Support Group to combat the racial thugs and white supremacists.

The station soon came under attack by the thugs who threw firebombs and such at the station in anger. It was then blown up by PC Des Taviner (who had been trying to get rid of counterfeit money he had donated to the fund for Conway) when he subdued one of the thugs and took his bomb, throwing it into Inspector Monroe's office, not knowing that gas cylinders had been left in there.The explosion killed Monroe, DC Paul Riley, PC Di Worrell, and PC Ben Hayward. Sam Harker and Spears both died in hospitalChandler had been rid of his greatest threat but another then arose: Mickey Webb. Chandler's downfall began.

Webb was saddened by Spears' death and that she never managed to reveal Chandler, Consequently, he began a vendetta against him. He found help in this through DCI Jack Meadows, who had been at odds with Chandler since day one and suspected something was not right.

Meanwhile DS Debbie McAllister had heard of the affair and went to console Chandler, drawn by the hope of taking advantage of the situation. She told him she knew about the affair but would be silent. She had created a bond and a dependence on her by Chandler. After the memorial service for those killed, McAllister came on to Chandler, congratulating him for the speech. They went into the disabled toilets and they had sex.

McAllister started abusing her standing with Chandler, and asked him to move a new detective she disliked to the CSU department, but he hesitated and then upon DI Cullen's advice he dumped her.McAllister returned a week later and told Chandler that she was pregnant and he was the father, this complicated Chandler's life further. He dropped her off at the abortion clinic but she never went through with it.

Webb and Meadows started digging for dirt on Chandler's past and Webb came to Taviner, who had been with his long term nemesis Chandler at Hendon. He referred him to ex-DCI Peter Marsden, who also had been at Hendon at the time and knew Jack Meadows well. Meadows discovered from him that a traumatic event had occurred at Hendon involving Chandler and his sister but he had been silent about it ever since. Cullen told Chandler that Webb and Meadows had been investigating him for some time and he knew what the event they were being lead to was the rape of Louise Marsden.

Webb was lead to Chandler's ex-girlfriend, Anne Merrick, who told him Louise Marsden committed suicide 20 years ago after claiming she had been raped. One of the people she had accused was Chandler himself. Webb told Marsden this and he went to Chandler, who assured him that Merrick was mentally ill and hence unreliable. He went to Merrick and told her she was unwell and her memory was impaired. After this, she reported he had raped her but McAllister supplied a false alibi to protect him, and no evidence could could be found to convict him. The next day Merrick was found dead.

Chandler went around to his associates who knew about the rape and convinced them to be quiet, this included DAC Gordon Cooper, other high ranking policemen and finally, his brother: James. James refused the bribe and Chandler then beat him up in anger. Webb and Meadows soon after came across him and he told them that he had seen the rape and agreed to write a statement supporting it.

But Chandler knew all of this and decided to marry McAllister, because he knew Meadows wouldn't want to do anything to upset McAllister. Surely enough on finding this out Meadows locked the statement in his drawer but Webb found it and photocopied it, leaving one on the photocopier where McAllister found it. Despite this the wedding went through and an unsure McAllister was then raped by Chandler. Webb and Meadows notified CIB about all the business and Chandler knew the game was over. He took a gun to his office, holding the pregnant McAllister up at gunpoint, when Meadows barged in. Chandler shot himself, knowing he would have been caught.

McAllister kept the ill-conceived baby, Andrew McAllister, and the dark days of Tom Chandler were over for once and for all.

In 2019, actor Steven Hartley shared his memories of playing Chandler in an interview for The Bill Podcast

Service Record []

  • 2000 - Arrives at Sun Hill from West End 
  • 2002 - The Sun Hill Fire
  • 2002 - Commits suicide

Family and Relationships[]

Major Storyline[]

2000- Transfers to Sun Hill from West End

2001- Tries to force Sergeant Bob Cryer to retire

2002- The Sun Hill Fire

2002- Arrested for raping Ann Merrick

2002- Rapes Debbie McAllister

2002- Holds DCI Meadows and DS McAllister hostage and then kills himself

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