A 17-year-old girl disappears after an argument with her father, and Joe searches for her American boyfriend who is taking extreme measures to prolong his stay in Yorkshire to avoid being drafted into the American Army and sent to Vietnam. Meanwhile, David and Peggy's scheme to find treasure with an old metal detector puts them under suspicion when bronze statues are stolen from local estates. Dawson links an explosion in the woods to armed criminals, and Joe goes undercover at a local quarry to infiltrate the gang. Joe tries to save a conflicted man from a life of crime but places himself in danger when his cover is blown. Meanwhile, Peggy exploits a rumour that the explosion was caused by a meteorite when she learns how valuable space debris is. Vernon is left fighting for his life when he buys a batch of soil for a new compost-producing venture, which comes to be linked to a noxious odour causing friction between neighbours. Liz finds herself under pressure when the common cause is found to be anthrax. Steve is preoccupied when Ventress convinces him that Sgt. Nokes fancies him. Gina's continuing absence has a profound effect on Bellamy. Three Australian sheep-shearers are celebrated for helping a local farm, but upset a bully who frames one for theft. Joe and Carol try to protect the farmer's daughter, who is being terrorised by her brother. Rosie has to choose between the Australians and a past lover. Meanwhile, Peggy starts a laundry service with David doing the work. Bellamy is displeased when he discovers Gina has been taking contraceptives. Joe is saddened when Miller tells him that he is being replaced.

Wetherby is followed to Aidensfield by a deranged stalker who ruined his marriage. He asks Joe for help when she makes a serious accusation against him. Meanwhile, Bernie's dating weekend with a widow coincides with Ventress and Blaketon's private investigation into a series of burglaries, when they all arrive at the same hotel. Gina resolves to return to work at the pub after a heart-to-heart with Peggy, and Carol finds herself attracted to Chris. DS Dawson requests assistance from Ashfordly police into investigating a list of stolen goods suspected of being in the possession of a shady antiques dealer. PC Mason soon discovers evidence that links the dealer to the items, when he discovers that a notorious burglar, who recently died, frequented the place with his children, unaware of the permanent harm he was doing to them and himself. Elsewhere, Jowett rallies the villagers when a group of Taoist monks become stranded en route to a monastery in Middlesbrough, but things soon change when the monks prove quite friendly to everyone.The team search for a young boy who disappears after discovering his mother is having an affair with a family friend, who is later seriously injured in a road accident. Meanwhile, Younger fills in for the lollipop lady and starts a friendship with a bullied boy. Gina and Bellamy arrange for Rob to date a hairdresser, but he realises he still is not over the loss of Helen. Miller is outraged when a nits infestation grips the Ashfordly station. Carol is delighted when her fiancé visits her on leave from the Navy, whilst Peggy and David experience a slight cash-flow problem. One of Liz's patients develops a drinking problem while her husband is abroad, having left her with two mischievous boys. Liz's attempts to help lead to trouble with Steve when she is caught drink driving. Meanwhile, a gambling addict kidnaps David and demands a ransom from Vernon. Bellamy and Gina return from their holiday with the news that they're expecting a baby. Helen is suspected of euthanasia when one of her patients suddenly dies, and Rob's desperate need to clear her name nearly exposes their affair. Meanwhile, Peggy and David start a strawberry scam involving Rosie's two brothers, providing Younger with his first independent investigation. Joe and Carol become involved in a revenge plot against a suspected Nazi war criminal when a Jewish couple are plagued by a series of sabotage acts, which later puts Younger's life at risk. Meanwhile, a vintage steam traction engine breaks down outside Bernie's garage, causing chaos in Aidensfield and leaving Bernie and Jowett fuming. Further mayhem arises when David takes it for a test run.

Bernie inherits a fortune from his sister, which draws out his half brother Vernon – who had faked his suicide two years earlier to avoid a taxman. Peggy panics when Vernon asks David to accompany him to Spain. However, both Bernie and Vernon are detained on suspicion of murder. Meanwhile, Rob and Carol deal with a religious man who reacts harshly to his 16-year-old daughter's pregnancy. Bellamy who collapsed whilst making an arrest, and has been admitted to Ashfordly General fears his family's history of heart failure has caught up to him. Though he does not want Gina to know, she finds out and spontaneously declares her feelings for him. The role introduced him to a whole new audience as the nostalgic police drama became a TV sensation. After the series came to an end, Derek had roles in other TV shows like Casualty and Doctors.

Tricia is best known for her role as Gina in Heartbeat (Image: Mirror Online/Northern Life Magazine) The police station's reputation comes under scrutiny when evidence suggests that someone from within the force is responsible for a string of burglaries. Meanwhile, Vernon hosts an exclusive painting weekend at Ashfordly Hall but is put in a compromising position by the absence of his life model. A businesswoman attempts to seduce David. A crashed car is found to have been used in a Liverpool robbery, suggesting a new group of criminals are loose in the area, and the only lead is a sketch. Blaketon joins Ventress in surveillance of the wife of an old friend, who is convinced that she is having an affair. Gina also goes away, leaving Bernie and Dawn in charge of the pub. Peggy tries to sell Angora goats. A businessman comes to Ashfordly Hall with his wife to set up a shooting party, but swiftly gains the wrath of a local man who seeks revenge for having his dog shot by him. Ashfordly police soon have to investigate when the businessman is later shot, and discover that he is deeply unfaithful to his wife. Meanwhile, Vernon is forced to go to hospital and reluctantly leaves his latest tourist enterprise in David's hand, which soon ends in disaster.