The Bill

S02E03 Lost

DS Roach and DC Dashwood are keeping watch over a phone booth, hoping to catch the individual responsible for making false bomb threats to the Town Hall. However, their focus shifts when a frantic woman reports her eight-year-old daughter, Samantha, missing. Alarm grows when Samantha's friend, Theresa, reveals they were approached by a flasher, raising fears of a potential abduction by a sex offender. As CID interviews local suspects, a broad search begins. WPC Ackland learns that Samantha loves boats, leading the search to the docks, where a drunken boat owner recalls seeing the girl with a woman. Meanwhile, as Roach and Dashwood head to Brighton to interview a known offender, PC Carver receives a tip from a shop assistant who recognized Samantha and the woman who purchased coloring books for her. With this information, DI Galloway and WPC Ackland track down the woman and find Samantha unharmed.