Sgt. Matt Boyden is not looking forward to another night shift in Custody, but a noisy prisoner demanding food turns out to be the least of his worries. Sgt. June Ackland and PC Dale Smith bring in a drunk and disorderly vagrant who they nickname 'Olly'. Chaos sets in as a drink-driver, some cat-fighting prostitutes, an immigration officer with two deportees and two lay visitors conducting a surprise inspection arrive. As the F.M.E. takes a blood test from the drink driver, Boyden has Olly placed in a cell to rest. When the lay visitors inspect his cell, he is dead. Faced with a death in custody, Ch. Supt. Brownlow calls in CIB, and the three Sergeants on duty, Boyden, Ackland and Cryer argue amongst themselves over who was responsible. Ackland manages to find Olly's real identity, and his widow threatens to sue the Met, but June talks her out of it and discovers that his wife blames herself for his death.