-
Jean Bennett (Ellie Haddington) (2008-2009): Jean was a prostitute in London during the 1970s and for a time an associate of Gordon Pullman, Sandra's father, due to his use of prostitutes in the local area. Whilst looking for answers about corruption allegations against her father, Sandra tracks Jean down and forces her to admit Gordon's involvement in vice and prostitution, which later leads Sandra to discover his responsibility in the death of local pimp, Ian Randall. A year later, Sandra again confronts Jean and forces her to admit that Gordon fathered an illegitimate child with another prostitute who died. Jean had taken the boy to a church and abandoned him for adoption so Sandra forced Jean to take her to the same church, where she later discovered the identity of her half-brother.
(Jean Bennett) (Recurring characters) -
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland (Anthony Calf) (2005–2015): Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland is the team's boss. A political animal who enjoys basking in reflected glory of UCOS's clean-up rate, his choice of cases is influenced by a desire to make his department look good. Despite this, he is a strong supporter of the UCOS team and has used his influence to protect them when necessary. He has two unseen children from a past marriage. Although he worked with Whitehall intelligence operative Stephen Fisher before the force, Strickland is always wary of him and will defend his officers when Whitehall attempts to manipulate them in socially sensitive cases. Despite being a somewhat self-serving officer, he has nonetheless been quite supportive of the actions of UCOS. He adamantly refused to allow Fisher to strongarm the team into working for him despite the fact that Fisher could seriously damage his career. In another instance, wherein the team made a collar and got a less-than-desirable result that would possibly cause a small political storm, Strickland made it clear that he had wanted the case investigated regardless, aware that it was unlikely to end happily. In more recent series, Strickland's political motives are outweighed by his desire to let UCOS do its work, and he uses his political savvy to navigate through the quagmire of potential landmines. Though he will still discipline the team when they blatantly break rules, he is willing to accept their actions if a result is achieved. Strickland even subtly gave Brian a chance to explain himself when he was forced to fire him, and it was only when Brian made it clear that he stood by his actions that Strickland finally told him to go. At the end of the eleventh series, Strickland reveals he has fathered a third child. The finale sees him promoted to Assistant Commissioner, saving UCOS from the political machinations of his predecessor.
(DAC Robert Strickland) (Recurring characters) -
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Donald Bevan (Nicholas Day / Tim Woodward in the Pilot) (2003–2004): Deputy Assistant Commissioner Donald Bevan is the founder of UCOS, originally intending it as a public relations gesture, to prevent an ex-convict from suing the Met for wrongful arrest. In contrast to the team, he is stereotypically obsessed with modern bureaucracy and buzzwords. Relations between him and the team are strained: UCOS's successes anger him as they are achieved in the 'wrong' way, and sometimes show serving officers and the respectable people Bevan wishes to associate himself with to be careless and even corrupt. He knows both Jack Halford and Gerry Standing personally, and strongly opposes Standing's inclusion in the team. Bevan claimed that Standing had taken a bribe to botch a stakeout of a gangster he knew through greyhound racing. Standing claimed Bevan's choice of position exposed his unit, so when Gerry left his position to tend to a badly beaten girl and his partner absconded, the gangster got away with the money. Bevan then accused Standing of beating the girl himself, prompting Gerry to break his jaw. In his final appearance, he tries to get Sandra Pullman hired by SO10 (covert operations), and suffers politically as a result.
(DAC Donald Bevan) (Recurring characters) -
DCS Frank Patterson (Phil Daniels) (2009–2010): Patterson is a short-tempered, old-fashioned copper, a former police colleague of Gerry's. He and Gerry fell out over a woman. They reunite when Frank is interviewed over an investigation of the disappearance of two student activists, which leads to UCOS's old enemy Ricky Hanson. Frank provides information crucial in Hanson's arrest for killing the activists, and then assists in securing his conviction for the attack on Mary Halford. Frank returns to have the team reinvestigate an armed robbery and several murders in the 1980s—he suspects that a now senior officer might have tipped off the robbery's ringleader for a cut and then conspired to cover it up.
(DCS Frank Patterson) (Recurring characters) -
John 'Jack' Halford (Ex-Detective Chief Superintendent) (James Bolam) (2003–2012, 2013): The highest-ranking retired officer on the team, and the first to be approached by Sandra when setting up UCOS, Jack Halford is the unofficial second-in-command. He is Sandra's mentor on numerous occasions, having been her boss on the murder squad. Jack retired to care for his dearly-loved wife Mary, who had been the victim of a hit-and-run. He is still haunted by her death, partly because nobody was charged in connection with it, although in Series 4 it becomes common knowledge that Ricky Hanson was responsible. After being frustrated by Hanson's acquittal in his trial for attempted murder, Jack briefly disappears, but is found by Brian, and later returns to UCOS. Hanson is eventually charged with killing Mary and imprisoned. Jack still speaks to Mary's memorial in his garden, seeking her help with solving cases. A softly-spoken and gentle man, he nevertheless possesses a quick and sometimes violent temper that he unleashes on suspects, although he will often become calm when he has reached the endgame, further unsettling suspects to achieve a confession. Jack has little time for the internal politics of the force, and is openly disdainful of those who lie, obstruct or mislead the police. Jack later leaves, giving only a day's notice, claiming that he has decided to retire to France and does not want to provide his colleagues time to talk him out of it. Brian correctly deduces that Jack has a terminal illness, and only has a short time to live, but promises not to tell the others until after Jack's death. He returned as an illusion conjured by Sandra in series 10, episode 8 in the UCOS office, encouraging her in her decision to move on and broaden her horizons elsewhere.
(Jack Halford) (Main characters) -
PC Izzy Clark (Chiké Okonkwo) (2003–2004): PC Izzy Clark is assigned to the team to help them with their IT needs and administration, though he soon becomes a valued member of the team. Unlike the retired members of the team, Izzy relies completely on modern policing techniques, an asset valued highly by DAC Donald Bevan. When Bevan's attempt to hire Sandra Pullman onto S010 fails, he pulls Izzy out of UCOS and instead offers him a place training with a firearms unit.
(PC Izzy Clark) (Recurring characters)
New Random Display Display All Items(26)