Joe (David Thewlis) envies identical twin brother, Harry. His sibling has the freedom of a comfortable bachelor lifestyle, funded by a generous army pension whereas Joe is in a dead end job – no money, squabbling children, a live in mother and a wife that he thinks has fallen out of love with him. As the brothers watch a football match on the television one evening, Harry chokes on a sweet and loses consciousness. Whilst Joe waits for the ambulance to arrive, he realises that the chance of a lifetime is staring him in the face. Joe swaps clothes and takes on his brother's identity. The assumed body of Joe is pronounced dead at the hospital whilst the real Joe is left comforting his wife, Mary (Bronagh Gallagher). Can Joe keep up the pretence that he is her brother-in-law?

Street resident Eddie (Timothy Spall) is in his taxi when he picks up Bob, who's married to his childhood sweetheart, Pat. Eddie can’t resist seeing his first love again, and accepts Bob’s invitation to a charity event. Back home, wife Margie (Ger Ryan) agrees to go along, as she doesn’t like the idea of him seeing Pat. However, when showering, Margie discovers a lump in her breast and cancels her evening out. Oblivious to Margie’s upset, Eddie storms out and drinks the evening away. But in a drunken attempt to impress Pat, he pays way over the odds for a set of signed snooker balls. The morning after he fails a breathalyser test and loses his licence and his job. All the while, he's ignorant of the terrible secret that is gnawing away at his long-suffering wife.

Charlie, a demolition man (Vincent Regan), is going to work away, leaving wife Roz at home with their teenage kids, Luke and Leah. At the end of a gruelling day, Charlie retires to the room that he’s sharing with fellow worker, Tom (Will Mellor). Charlie is woken when Tom tries to get into bed with him. Affronted by Tom's actions, Charlie states that he’s straight. The next day Charlie attempts to change hotel rooms, but it’s not an option, and so he’s stuck with Tom. That evening, Tom tries his luck again, and Charlie doesn't resist his advances. Will he be able to come to terms with what's happening to him?

Cath lives on the street with her three children, the eldest of whom is Ian. Husband Vinnie is in prison, awaiting trial following a drugs deal. Jan, Cath’s sister, lives across the street with husband Danny and their only son, Gary. Gary has been accepted into the Navy, and Ian joins his cousin for a night out. After a pub crawl, they head home in a taxi, but Gary gets out to be sick. When Ian shouts at the driver to stop and wait for his cousin, he becomes violent. Gary arrives at the scene and lays into the driver, slamming his head in the cab door. With the driver unconscious, Ian persuades Gary to run off but as other cab drivers arrive, they automatically assume that Ian is to blame. Will Gary do the right thing and confess?

For postman Wayne (Mark Benton), life on the street has been less than kind recently: Wife Val left him, taking with her their two sons and the dog; his back’s deteriorating which makes his postal round harder by the day, and he’s got no money. A potentially good night out speed-dating is ruined when Wayne takes a shine to Rachel, who is crippled by a stammer which Wayne seems incapable of being sympathetic about. Now at his lowest ebb, Wayne thinks that his problems could be solved if only he could have a new start, somewhere nice and hot, like Greece. With a new found determination Wayne adopts a new approach to his work. He opens the mail that’s addressed to the wealthier parts of the neighbourhood and removes any cash, before delivering the rest. But 15 year-old illiterate truant, Damien, has been watching Wayne closely and confronts him. Can Wayne persuade him to keep his secret?

Paul (Toby Kebbell) recently moved into a bed-sit on the street. He works as a gardener in local parks and spends his spare time alone. After taking a shine to local girl, Kirsty, who he often passes on the street, he finally manages to pluck up the courage to ask her on a date. The date starts out well, and Paul persuades Kirsty to come home with him. In a fleetingly intimate moment, he confides in her that he is carrying a terrible secret. Although clearly consumed with guilt and remorse, he resolutely refuses to elaborate. Their moment of closeness proves too painful, and Paul destroys the relationship before it's even begun. Then on his way home one night, Paul catches sight of a woman and runs away, scared. Back home, he consumes a cocktail of whisky and paracetamols, wishing his life away. The doorbell rings and Jean (Jodhi May), the woman he ran away from is there. What follows – a meeting between Jean and Paul through a gap in the door – is a disturbing journey to the heart of Paul’s dark secret.