The Policeman was the first officer on the scene when fire broke out in the Rovers Return Inn in June 1986 as a result of faulty wiring in the fuse box carried out by Jack Duckworth. His main duties were keeping the residents back to enable the firemen to carry out the task of rescuing Bet Lynch and putting out the flames. He had no chance of keeping the crowds back when Kevin Webster, who had attempted to rescue Bet, was himself brought out and attended to by the ambulance crew and was duly accorded a hero's welcome.