dave and irene carter want to buy dot cotton's (june brown) house which her son nick (john altman) has put up for sale to collect deposits from prospective buyers and keep them to fund his heroin addiction. the carters give nick £300, and two days later, dave arrives with some furniture for the flat, which nick disposes of. on the day they are due to move in, dot discovers what nick has been up to and tells the carters they will get their money back.