Tim Pigott-Smith stars as John Stafford, an outspoken and deeply committed officer who has been newly promoted to Chief Constable at Eastland, East Anglia. Not one to shy from difficult decisions, his appointment of the highly capable Anne Stewart as his deputy proves deeply unpopular and exposes some of the more unpleasant institutional attitudes among the ranks. In later series, Stafford moves on and is replaced by Alan Cade (Martin Shaw). While no less capable than his predecessor, Cade finds that the challenge of frontline policing continues to be eclipsed by pressure from both his Home Office superiors and the local government agencies that are increasingly taking over many police roles.