The binmen gather to give Nev a good retirement send-off, fully aware that their business is under threat and they may have to find new ways to survive.

Ken and Bernard try to make an honest bob by painting a local church. Meanwhile, Nev's new-found love really gets serious.

The lads go to Fleetwood to stop Nev marrying Irene, who they regard as a gold-digger. The site is visited by the Millennium Games Committee and Sharon and Ken enter a hairdressing competition.

Nev doesn't want to return to Hepworth. Sharon and Ken struggle with the new salon, while Prabhakar receives a compulsory purchase order for the yard. Parry loses job and Diane leaves him.

Parry's financial worries mount when Pete calls in his debts and he seriously considers ending it all - until Nev and the rest of the lads get together to plot a fitting revenge on the uncaring loan shark.

The lads hatch a plan to break George out of jail, hoping he'll lead them to the all-important photo and help them to expose Stranks and Roberts's corruption. However, events take a turn for the worse and they are forced to hide out in a local church - just as Denise's mum's wedding is about to start.