The Vice

DI Pat Chappel finds himself involved in a turf war between two rival pimps when he investigates the murder of a prostitute. Whilst gathering evidence against his prime suspect, he takes the high-class Nikki under his wing and learns that her pimp is physically abusive towards her.

Chappel resolves to help Nikki after she refuses to give a statement to the police, and gets personally involved trying to protect her from Hinkley, ostensibly, a respectable family man. Less than pleased at the attention he's receiving, Hinkley needs Chappel's help when his own daughter is kidnapped by a rival pimp.

WPC Cheryl Hutchins takes on more than she can handle while undercover, when she discovers that a nightclub boss has a side hustle in S&M films. This also brings back painful memories to Chappel.

When Chappel finds a young girl prostituting in Soho, he attempts to uncover her identity, learning that she absconded from a children's home in Sheffield. Paying a visit, he discovers all is not as it seems, that young girls are being lured away, with the promise of gifts and a life of luxury, in order to work the streets of London.

A huge web of lies and deceit covering up a dangerous child abuse ring is discovered to be limited not only to those now living in the children's home but to past residents as well. Chappel suspects the involvement of one of the staff members, and encounters a terrifying chain of events.

Tasked with investigating an illegal gambling and prostitution ring operating out of a pub, Chappel and Hutchins posing as thrillseekers. However, after Chappel nearly blows his cover, he's shocked to discover that the haunt is frequented by former Vice officer Dougie Raymond.

Chappel's former boss Frank Vickers is found lurking in the basement during a raid on a Soho brothel, and the team learn that Chappel has a more-than-shady past involving former prostitute Jane Farrell, with whom he fell in love. Vickers is determined to clear his name, and Chappel's life looks set to be blown apart when Vickers reveals some very sordid secrets to his colleagues in Vice. Chappel goes in search of Jane, and discovers that one of her friends, whom he was friendly with, disappeared some years previously and has never been found. When Chappel finds the body in the basement of the brothel, he becomes determined to prove Vickers' involvement in her death.

Attending the trial of a prostitute accused of murdering her pimp, Chappel tries a little gentle persuasion in an attempt to get the prosecuting barrister to press harder to gain a conviction, unaware of his own personal troubles. When the barrister is caught with a prostitute in a car park by Cheryl and Kirsty, he uses the excuse that he is 'gathering first-hand research' for Chappel and is let off with a caution. However, when caught again, Chappel realises he's unleashed a more dangerous beast than he ever could have realised. Meanwhile, Joe and Kirsty start to develop an explosive relationship, and when Jane loses her new job and goes back on the game, Chappel soon has new problems.

Chappel goes undercover in a prison for sex offenders in order to flush out the ringleaders of a prostitution racket, which involves both the inmates and the prison staff. Reports suggest that inmates are being threatened with violence unless they allow the ringleaders to have group sex with their wives and girlfriends. However, it turns out to be a far more sinister conspiracy. Robinson, unhappy with the situation, tries to get Chappel out, but being so close to collecting the vital evidence, Chappel decides to stay undercover. Posing as Chappel's girlfriend, Hutchins is targeted, while Chappel's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic.

When prostitutes are murdered in the financial heart of London, Chappel reaches out to working girl Sandra, warning her to stay away from the unit's prime suspect, arrogant financier Gordon Ellis. Chappel uncovers a link between the murder victims and Ellis, but Hutchins isn't so sure that CCTV footage supposedly capturing the second victim with Ellis is concrete. As Chappel grows dangerously involved with Sandra, he becomes obsessed with nailing Ellis, and sends PC Kirsty Morgan undercover in an attempt to prove his involvement. Meanwhile, a sceptical Robinson receives news of his promotion, and announces he is leaving.

Chappel is delighted when retired prostitute Clara comes forward and offers to give evidence against Keith Beaumont, a former porn baron whom Chappel suspects is still operating. However, past encounters with Beaumont begin clouding his judgement and enthused by her boss' take on the task, Morgan offers herself as bait in a dangerous undercover honeytrap. Suspecting that Morgan may well have slept with Beaumont, Robinson persuades his new boss to allow him a week's secondment back to Vice to give Chappel a hand in his quest to prove Beaumont's guilt.

Chappel goes undercover as an insurance-broking lodger to investigate a suspected porn merchant, who makes a sideline in dirty movies whilst running his own above-board video rental shop. However, when he learns that the residence is in fact the base for a paedophile ring, the case is recategorised and taken from Vice, leaving Chappel furious upon discovering that the case has been handed to Robinson – his first assignment since his promotion to Inspector. Meanwhile, as Hutchins begins questioning her loyalty to Chappel, the latter—unable to continue allowing the repeated abuse of a 12-year-old girl—attacks the prime suspect, eliminating any chance of bringing down the ring.

Disgraced Chappel has been transferred to a desk job following the events of the operation into the paedophile ring, and Vickers has been drafted in to head-up the vice squad as his replacement. When Chappel discovers that Hutchins has disappeared during an undercover operation into a pornographer, he becomes obsessed with finding her. Using his informants, Chappel manages to locate Hutchins, only to see her destroying herself with a powerful addiction to crack cocaine. Risking everything to save her, and under a watchful eye from Vickers, Chappel takes Hutchins to a safe house. But when he discovers that the pornographer raped her, Chappel finds himself up on a murder charge.

Following Vickers' promotion to Chief Inspector, Robinson makes a welcome return to Vice, and on his first day back, he becomes determined to nail a violent pimp, who is involved with the disappearance of two of his girls. As he and rookie Johnstone interview Miles Wilson, the mother of his latest victim is brought in to sit with her daughter during questioning. When she recognises Vickers from their past dealings, she threatens to reveal their lurid past if he doesn't personally deal with her daughter's case. As he persuades Robinson to get both the mother and daughter to testify, Robinson goes to visit Hutchins in rehab, and is stunned to discover that her way of controlling her addiction is to watch punters buying drugs on the street.

The team investigate an amusement arcade manager suspected of recruiting young runaways as rent boys, and PC Adam Parkes is sent undercover in an attempt to gather evidence. While Parkes is drawn into the deep end, Robinson is led on a wild goose chase by one of the boys involved. When Parkes' attempt to trap the prime suspect fails, and the boy whom he is trying to encourage to give evidence starts to ignore him, he suddenly realises that he is being drawn into a whole other ball game. Meanwhile, Morgan becomes jealous when Hutchins returns from rehab and immediately applies for promotion to sergeant. Morgan confides her emotions to Vickers, who suggests that she too should apply for promotion.