List of Heartbeat Characters - Police - Ashfordly Police Sergeants

Ashfordly Police Sergeants

• Derek Fowlds as Sgt Oscar Blaketon, now retired (1992–2010). A crotchety sergeant with a particular loathing for Claude Greengrass, whom he was perpetually trying to put behind bars. Often appearing cynical, suspicious and bad-tempered and very serious and hard, he has mellowed somewhat with age. His softer side is occasionally apparent, and at various times he has been a voice of wisdom or shoulder to cry on for younger policemen facing moral dilemmas or personal traumas. After a near-fatal heart attack in Series 7 which forced his retirement from the police force, Blaketon became proprietor of Aidensfield Post Office and General Stores but that did not last long because the writers found this difficult to tie in to the plots. After only a year, he was brought back to the centre of the stories by being made owner of the Aidensfield Arms (pub), which he bought after discovering that he owned some valuable share warrants, and where he is now usually to be seen serving behind the bar with landlady and licensee Gina Ward. Blaketon was once married, but divorced some years before the series began. He has a son called Graham who appeared in several early episodes but has thereafter rarely been mentioned. Blaketon is also a local councillor and, since retirement, an occasional private investigator, sometimes working in this capacity with Ventress. During the last episode, whilst feeding his adventurous side, Blaketon was impaled onto a pitchfork. The finale ended without the audience knowing whether Blaketon died or not.

• Nick Berry as Sgt Nick Rowan. He was the first bobby from London. When Sgt Blaketon had a heart attack he was promoted to sergeant.

• Philip Franks as Sgt Raymond Craddock (1998–2002). A decent but rather vain and pompous Welshman. Noted for his sarcasm, he delivered some of the more amusing lines in the show to date. His hobbies were cycling and ballroom dancing. The series did not show much of his personal life, though he was apparently a very lonely man. It was revealed in the eighth series that he had separated from his wife Penny, but they decided to rekindle their marriage and reconciled in the eleventh series. At the same time as reuniting with his wife, Craddock gained promotion, and the pair then left Ashfordly, and the series, to start a new life.

• Georgie Glen as Sgt Jennifer Nokes (2000–2001, 2003–2004, 2005, 2009, 2010). A female stand-in sergeant who first appeared as cover for Sgt Craddock while he was on holiday. She takes a liking to young male officers, and once propositioned PC Bellamy, who freaked out somewhat.

• Duncan Bell as Sgt Dennis Ian Merton (2002–2004). A strait-laced and honourable Scotsman to whom the men were loyal. Merton had previously worked for the CID but was demoted to uniformed sergeant and transferred to Ashfordly after punching a fellow officer during an argument. He married the much younger pharmacist Jenny Latimer. Realising he should put his wife ahead of his job, he eventually left the series, resigning from police force to move nearer to the hospital where Jenny was being treated after her mental breakdown during series 14.

• John Duttine as Sgt George Miller (2005–2010). Blunt Yorkshireman. Moved to the Ashfordly job from the York police force, and still lives in York. He has a wife and several children. His daughter Jo (played by Pip Ripley), who had walked out on the family due to disagreements, appeared in a Series 16 episode. She came face to face with her father after being arrested for anti-war activism, and the two reconciled their differences. Another daughter, Cheryl, featured in Series 18 "Family Matters" when she was kidnapped by an armed gang. In the episode "Cashing In", Miller's wife, Jeannie (Jessica Turner), was finally shown. Jean was arrested for stealing a tin of luncheon meat from a local shop but PC Younger found out that a young boy had slipped it into her handbag. It was explained that Jean was upset because Miller did not talk to her much since their daughters had left home. Sgt George Miller is not the first character Duttine played in Heartbeat, it was that of an MP leading a protest against the US onion dome bases activity. His characters name was Paul Melthorn.