This six-part series explores the personal and professional live of DC Janet Scott (Lesley Sharp) and DC Rachel Bailey (Suranne Jones) who are both members of Syndicate 9, a division of the Manchester Metropolitan Police, who are tasked to track down killers and uncover their motives for murder.

Cast

Rupert Graves appears as Rachel’s parter Nick, Sally Lindsay as Rachel’s sister Alison, Kevin Doyle as Janet’s childhood friend, Geoff Hastings, Nicholas Gleaves appears as DS Andy Roper, Tony Mooney as DC Pete Readyough, Ben Batt as DC Kevin Lumb, David Prosho as DC Ian Mitchell and Delroy Brown as DC Lee Broadhurst.

Episode 1

A young Turkish woman has been killed, and her murder made to look like suicide. Rachel finds out that the woman's husband was having an affair, and takes a risk when it comes to interviewing the man's mistress. Will her high-stakes approach get results? She also uses her police privileges to carry out an investigation into her own ex - and is horrified to discover that he is married with two children. Meanwhile, Janet agrees to take another look at the case of an old school friend, Veronica, who was abducted and murdered when they were children.

Episode 2

Rachel's personal life gets even more complicated when she reveals to Nick that she is pregnant. At work, the team face a particularly gruesome case - a mother of two has been brutally raped and left to bleed to death in the boot of her car. A sharp piece of detective work from Rachel leads to teenager Luke Farrell being charged, but horrific events start to unravel as a result of his arrest. Janet steps up her investigation into her childhood friend Veronica's death and meets up with an officer who investigated the murder.

Episode 3

When a rape and murder case goes to trial, DCI Gill Murray is determined to see the defendant, Georgios Stelikos (Mete Dursun) convicted. But the case is complicated and only one woman, Hannah Conway (Nichola Burley), is prepared to come forward and testify that she was raped by Stelikos. When DC Rachel Bailey gives evidence, she is horrified to find that her ex Nick is the defending barrister – and his cross examination shakes her to the core. A stunned Rachel admits to DC Janet Scott that she had talked to Nick about the case.

Episode 4

When porn actress Vicky Birkinshaw is arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband, Rachel and Janet are convinced that she is hiding the truth, but even they are shocked by the revelations to come. Rachel's professional life hangs in the balance when DCI Gill Murray finds out that her relationship with barrister Nick Savage could have put a case at risk. Janet's affair with a colleague is also uncovered, but has Rachel overstepped the mark by confronting Janet about it?

Episode 5

When Rachel bumps into an ex-juror, she is shocked to discover that the woman had an affair with Nick in the middle of a trial - and a desperately worried Nick does everything in his power to persuade Rachel to keep the knowledge to herself. After a current investigation throws up similarities to Veronica's murder, Janet tells Geoff Hastings that they could be one step closer to bringing his sister's killer to justice. But when Rachel stumbles across some new facts in the case, she realises that Janet is in terrible danger. Can she get the information to Janet in time?

Episode 6

As Rachel is walking home, she is narrowly missed by a car which then smashes into the side of the road. The next day, she learns that the crash is linked to the disturbing information she found out about Nick's affair with a juror. Was Rachel targeted - and could Nick have had something to do with it? The latest case for the team is that of a teenager shot dead at home. His best friend witnessed the shooting but it takes all of Janet's skill to get him to open up as he is petrified that he could be next. Meanwhile, Rachel's career hangs in the balance as Gill discovers just how far she has gone in pursuit of love, and Janet needs to end her affair once and for all.

ITV series Scott & Bailey starring Suranne Jones & Lesley Sharp Police duo DC Janet Scott and DC Rachel Bailey investigate the motives for murder

Starring Suranne Jones, Lesley Sharp, Rupert Graves, Sally Lindsay, Kevin Doyle, Nicholas Gleaves and Ben Batt.

Photograph of Suranne Jones, Amelia Bullmore and Lesley Sharp in character for ITV police drama Scott & Bailey