"You know what they say about Hobbs End?" said DI Bolton, "what's that Guv" replied Sergeant Theakston, "nothing bloody changes! Come on, we've got a disturbance outside the town hall, let's see what excuse it is this time for grown men to try and knock each others heads off."
It looks like this mornings entertainment is due to a double booking, the Skeleton Army want the town hall pitch but the Socialists have beaten them to it, the sight of the thin blue line means nothing to either side so the police keep a distance to see how things pan out.
No surprise there really, things get ugly very quickly and the Skeleton Army leader receives a nasty razor cut, DI Bolton is quick off the mark and soon nabbs the razor wielding Socialist.
The police tell both sides to bugger off, which they do, but resentment is simmering. Back at the station Bolton and Theakstone are called out to the Drovers Road doss house, chasing a possible lead to a series of local burglaries.
No sooner do they reach the front of the building they are set upon by two men, seemingly for no reason. The two detectives put up a good fight driving one assailant off, the other is arrested after receiving several whacks to the jaw from Bolton.
The one that got away was recognised as being a particularly violent Socialist thug, could this have been revenge for breaking up their fun this morning outside the town hall? Bolton is sure of it, time to go to Wells Street and confront them!
The Socialists believe that Wells Street is their own little fiefdom, the police believe it is not. Up on his cart Comrade Beron is whipping up a storm against all sorts of things, but mainly the police and in particular DI Bolton. So, speak of the devil and he shall appear! DI Bolton and a couple of constables come marching around the corner much to the amazement of the Socialist congregation.
After accusing the Socialists of conspiring to give him a rotten day DI Bolton becomes the focus of a violent attack and is soon knocked to the ground. From the other end of Wells Street Theakston is closing in with another two constables and they give a good account of themselves.
The Socialists are eventually driven back, many with wounds from truncheon blows, three are arrested and one policeman is taken to hospital after he was felled with an iron bar. With more police arriving and a black mariah for the prisoners the altercation is all but over. More of an exercise in marking his territory than solving crimes Bolton then smashed in the door of the Socialist HQ on the pretext of searching for seditious material, it's doubtful that this feud is over.
