List of East Enders Characters (1985) - Terry Rich

Detective Sergeant Terry Rich, played by Gary Whelan, first appears in the series on 26 February 1985. He investigates the death of Reg Cox (Johnnie Clayton), who had died the previous week, and his death is believed to be a murder. DS Rich of the Walford CID arrives in Albert Square to conduct an inquiry.

The following week, a badge that Lofty Holloway (Tom Watt) is wearing on his jumper catches the eye of Dr Legg (Leonard Fenton), who recognises it as one that he'd seen in Reg's collection of Nazi badges from the war. A few hours later, Rich arrives at The Queen Victoria where Lofty is tending bar and questions him about how he got the badge. Lofty reluctantly admits that he'd bought it from Mark Fowler (David Scarboro) for five pounds. When questioned by Detective Sergeant Rich, Mark insists that he found the badge on the street. However, on 28 March, Rich learns that Mark had obtained the badge from Nick Cotton (John Altman) and 'turned over' Nick's place to find the remains of Reg's collection along with other incriminating evidence. Nick Cotton then flees Walford, but is arrested the following month for the murder of Reg Cox, although he is never charged.

Terry returns in 1987 to investigate the case of the 'Walford attacker', who is has assaulted several different female inhabitants of Albert Square. In April of that year, the attacker picks the wrong victim, Debbie Wilkins (Shirley Cheriton), who manages to ward him off using self-defence, which leads to his arrest. Terry is impressed with the way Debbie conducted herself so he asks her if she would help him out on some police business. Terry asks Debbie to go to a French restaurant with him on an undercover operation to expose French restaurants using English waiters. Debbie agrees, but whilst on their mock date they bond and when they return to The Queen Victoria they make a dinner date for the next night to a Chinese restaurant and they are soon inseparable. Debbie's flat-mate Naima Jeffery (Shreela Ghosh) seems to dislike Terry immensely, but this doesn't perturb Debbie, and when Terry asks her to marry him, she gleefully accepts. The following month Terry is transferred to another division, so Debbie decides to leave Walford with him. He leaves with her on 14 May 1987.