A contentious mayoral election is being fought between incumbent liberal Kashif Hassan and political underdog and local-girl-done-good Caroline McCoy. Crowds gather for a mayoral debate between Hassan and political underdog McCoy - only for the hustings to end in bloodshed when an assassin strikes. As Viv Deering and her team investigate, they are forced to infiltrate the far right, and their murky world of political benefactors, if they are to catch the culprit.

Killer Beckett's next target is Manchester's children and Viv and the team must track down the poisoned batch of halal meat that Beckett has unleashed on the city before it's too late. In the hunt to get closer to Beckett, Dinah attempts to win the trust of the undercover cop in the midst of the far-right group Beckett used to be involved in - and uncovers explosive secrets.

Election day looms and the team is on high alert, as Beckett's reign of terror appears to be escalating when an elderly Jewish man is found dead in a graveyard. The team is right on Beckett's tail, and a meeting between getaway driver Dennis and Beckett promises to be the key to capturing him.

Paul Abbott's award-winning drama returns for a third series and sees DI Viv Deering and the Friday Street team face off against their most formidable antagonist yet: the far-right.

Caroline McCoy's political reign brings chaos to the streets of Manchester, and catapults hardline DCI Terry Taylor into Friday Street cop shop, to bring the police in line with her agenda.

The team are running out of options and their strategy is threatened when one of their own is placed in peril.