S15 · E71

Walking The Line

A Polish shopkeeper tells police he was attacked by three black youths, and DC Duncan Lennox and DC Tom Proctor arrest the main suspect, Davy Rawlings. After an attempted escape, Rawlings accuses Lennox of racial abuse, saying that he called him a 'black bastard' during the arrest. As usual, Ch. Supt. Brownlow scrambles into damage control with more regard for the Met's public image than for the welfare of his officers. DC Danny Glaze is furious when Brownlow insists he take DC Proctor's place on the case to ease the 'racial sensitivities', but thanks to PC Gary McCann, he and DS Geoff Daly manage to find the 'third man' involved in the beating, who tells them what really went down. The other suspect in the van, Errol Price, is brought to the station by his father and he clears DC Lennox of any racial abuse during the arrest.