DC Mike Dashwood     played by Jon Iles

First appearance    A Friend in Need (23/10/84)
Last appearance    Part of the Furniture (02/07/92)
Call Sign               ---

DC Mike Dashwood was probably the best-looking policeman ever posted to Sun Hill. When you add to that the fact that he had a private income, went off for country weekends with socially prominent people and wore much more expensive clothes than anyone else at the nick, you can see why he was regarded with suspicion and some jealousy. Some people thought he was just a poser, some felt he saw himself as Miami Bill, the Don Johnson of East London. There was even a certain suppressed glee when Mike screwed up on a case, which he occasionally did.

When he was accused of taking money from a snout, there were plenty at Sun Hill who were happy to believe he'd done it - even after the charge was withdrawn and Mike's innocence established. His rich family saw Mike as the black sheep, because he'd joined the met instead of becoming a City highflier. But Mike probably thought he was destined to be Commissioner one of these days, and when he finally left Sun Hill to join Scotland Yard's Fine Art Squad there was a general feeling that his style and his contacts were doing their job and moving him up the ladder.

But this was unfair to Mike Dashwood. Lack of experience did cause him to make mistakes in early cases, but he was willing to learn and became an efficient detective. And Sun Hill respected the guy more after he stood up well after being held at gunpoint by an escaped convict. And the lads had to accept that not too many of them would have behaved as coolly as Mike when he found himself alone in a house with a full-grown black panther. So when he left Sun Hill he had a lot more respect than when he arrived. All the same, they are watching his career carefully. If he comes back one day as a DCI, there will be mixed feelings.

Dashwood returned to Sun Hill at the end of 1992, winding up Carver when he took a case away from him and got a result. He later did the same to Lines when a collection of valuable dolls was stolen. He was promoted to Sergeant soon afterward and returned to the station to help Carver again in 1996.