Neighbourhood Blues - Season 8

Racial tensions run high in Sunderland following a race-hate attack. When officers discover a chilling note attached to the brick thrown during the attack, the neighbourhood team race to get the occupants of the house to safety. In Southwick, north of Newcastle, the neighbourhood team uncover a cannabis farm worth over a quarter of a million pounds. And PCSOs Craig and Gill help an elderly man who has been left shaken by a recent burglary.

In the coastal town of Blyth on the north east coast, PC Stuart Thomson must take a sensitive approach and use all his skills as a neighbourhood officer when he deals with the bullying of a disabled boy by a group of young people. The neighbourhood team raid the house of a nuisance neighbour and possible drug user, and PCSOs Mick and Deborah are called to a van on fire.

In Southwick, Tyne and Wear, the neighbourhood team are called to a man who is being tormented by a pair of antisocial youths. One of the lads is arrested, while the mother of the other admits she is finding it hard to control her wayward son. Together they work with the distressed mother to keep the boy out of trouble. A man living in a caravan causes distress to residents, and an evening shift of calls to antisocial youths keep the Blyth team busy.

The neighbourhood teams crack down on illegal drugs. The Washington team raid the house of a man who has reportedly been growing cannabis in his loft. In Southwick, officers raid the house of a possible dealer. Plus a woman behaving badly outside a nightclub takes things too far, and the team give two German tourists a welcome surprise.

In Tyne and Wear, the Sunderland neighbourhood team are called to an act of racist graffiti outside a mosque. When more graffiti appears on the house of a resident close by, the team notice similarities between the two acts of vandalism and attempt to hunt down those responsible. In Washington, PC Glen assists a woman who has been harassed by youths on mopeds in the local park. And PC Louise puts her local knowledge to the test to find a runaway who may be hiding on a busy railway line.

The neighbourhood team in Gateshead are put on high alert when a resident discovers a hand grenade placed on a wall in her front garden. As the army are called in to deal with the World War II grenade, PCs Steve and Brian help those who have been evacuated from their homes. There is concern for 84-year-old Jimmy who suffers with a lung condition and needs regular medication, and there are reports of a heated argument before the grenade was spotted.

The neighbourhood team also deal with an antisocial youth crime wave in the coastal town of Blyth, and PCSO Deborah sees the dark side of living rough in Sunderland city centre.

Northumbria Police launch Operation Flynn to target wanted and active criminals across their area. Run from police HQ, the neighbourhood teams with their links to the community are integral to making sure the operation is a success. First up, the team attempt to track down a man who is wanted on a weapons offence and hasn't turned up for court. They find him at home in bed but have to make an unscheduled stop before they take him into custody. The team also go on the hunt for a man who is known to become aggressive when he has had a few too many.

The Sunderland team are called to the city centre when one of their regulars has been found hiding in a bush after being accused of stealing money from a student.

The neighbourhood team are called to reports of a woman vandalising a window. When confronted, she becomes aggressive and her bad behaviour culminates in a shocking assault when she is taken into custody. This is the side of neighbourhood policing the public don't get to see, providing an insight into custody and the abuse staff often have to deal with.

The team also help a couple of young lads who have been left stranded, and make an unexpected discovery when on the hunt for a man who hasn't turned up for court.

The neighbourhood team race to the scene of a car crash in Sunderland, and PCSOs Mick and Deborah speak to witnesses to get to the bottom of what has happened. It soon becomes clear that the driver was uninsured, and worse still, he ran away rather than stick around to swap details with the victim.

Officers visit a man who may have been the victim of racist abuse by an antisocial teenager. When he shows officers shocking footage of the youth attacking his ground-floor flat recorded on his phone, the team act fast.

In the coastal town of Blyth on the North Sea coast, the neighbourhood team arrest one of their most active offenders. After he is released on bail, the man steals a TV and goes on the run. The team pull out all the stops to get him behind bars once more, and after he manages to evade them for more than a month they decide to organise a sting operation to finally catch their man.

PCSOs Mick and Andy catch a man smoking cannabis outside a children's dance school who claims his law breaking is for medicinal purposes.

And in Sunderland city centre, PCs Steve and Gill work closely with business owners and security teams to crack down on shoplifters.