Harry Salter was once a Fleet Street high-flier: he got the stories, he got the expense account and he got drunk. But now he lives on his wits running a Darlington news agency. His first task: investigate a death framed like suicide and track down a rogue tattooist.

Earlier in his career, Salter reached features editor status on Fleet Street, before the drink took hold. Now he's sniffing out stories for his agency. In this time, a routine patrol with the motorway police uncovers a dramatic incident.

A trio of graverobbers think they've struck lucky until an antiques expert enlightens them. Meanwhile, Salter anxiously awaits the arrival of an old friend.

Salter's fictional colleagues feature when an ex-army officer is murdered on his patch. He goes off in hot pursuit of the IRA suspects, intent on selling the story to the national papers, but discovers that the real villain is somewhat nearer home.

Jonathan takes his video camera to cover a sick child's birthday party, which escalates into a hostage situation. Meanwhile, Salter is contacted by the sinister owner of a champion fighting dog.

Salter could go to jail for what he did at the scene of a siege, but insists on dealing with the problem in his own way.

Darlington's fearless newshounds stumble across the perfect tabloid shocker this week when Salter, just out of prison, sees a man breaking down a door with an axe. But this turns out to be even more juicy than the average Mad Axeman story, for the door in question belongs to a 'glamour' photographer who has been producing pornographic pictures of local girls.

With an important Italian client to impress, Salter turns to invention. At the same time, he has an exclusive interview with a local football hero, but how can he make him sound interesting?

Nothing more than a conventional Sunday-paper tribute would seem to be called for, as far as the news agency is concerned. But a visit to ex-reporter Dan Finch raises the ghost of a 15-year-old murder trial with Masonic entanglements.

During a surprise party to celebrate the broadcast of Jonathan's Video Diary, he gives Salter some bad news, which causes bad feeling all round. But Salter is soon on the trail of a financial scandal involving a local employer.

A surgeon appeals for help, but Salter's hot on the trail of a much bigger story — so big he's prepared to ditch his crew to follow his lead to London and abroad.

Salter goes out with a real scoop, causing a disgraced MP to resign, earns plaudits and more work from his Fleet Street masters, and manages to upset his wife and staff back at the agency.

Salter has left everyone behind to chase the big story in Spain and the big money in Fleet Street. But he comes down to earth with a bump and returns to pick up the pieces of his northeast agency.

Jonathan investigates the intimidation of a teenage murder witness. Salter offers to protect the witness, but then loses him.

Salter investigates blackmail as a clean-cut footballer's image is threatened by his wife's past.

A soldier with a secret can be a dangerous business, especially when the establishment conspires to cover it up. When Salter finally uncovers the shocking truth, will he be allowed to tell it? Meanwhile, Snappy and Jonathan stake out an ageing rock star who returns from the dead.

Salter suspects that a local bigtime criminal, known as the Phantom now living on the Costa Del Sol, is back in town. Of course he's keen to get the exclusive but ex-detective Jack Crow is too. It's a race to see who can find him first. To throw news-hungry Cheryl off the scent of his scoop, Salter uses some underhanded methods to encourage her to investigate a devil-worship story that unexpectedly turns out to be connected with the Phantom.

Snappy and Jonathan are in line for a 'Good News' award. But events take a turn for the worse when a young prostitute disappears and her friends think she has been murdered. Alice is a dead ringer for the missing girl and decides to act as bait for the killer.

Dean Hawkins breaks out of prison to settle a score with the local police and politicians who destroyed his father, especially Parliamentary candidate Frank Melhouse. Meanwhile, Salter is beingfed information on Melhouse by an anonymous source.

A child is kidnapped and Alice doesn't want Salter involved as the parents are friends of hers. But he just can't pass up the chance of an exclusive.