1985 Handsworth riots 1500 police officers drafted into the area, about 45 shops looted and burnt, and a trail of damage running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. As well as racial tension, unemployment was seen as a major factor in the riots; by the time of the riots, fewer than 5% of the black population to have left school that summer had found employment. The riots were the first of a series of similar riots across the country during the autumn of 1985, notably the Broadwater Farm riot in London which also resulted in a fatality (the murder of policeman Keith Blakelock).
The Man Who Never Was O'Reilly (Stephen Boyd) dispatched to London to investigate. What O'Reilly uncovers is inconclusive, in his mind, until he checks out Martin's "fiancée", Lucy Sherwood (Gloria Grahame). She is the roommate of Montagu's assistant, Pam (Josephine Griffin). O'Reilly shows up at their flat, posing as Martin's old friend, on the same day Lucy received news that her real boyfriend has been killed in action. Her genuine grief mostly convinces O'Reilly. As a final test, however, he leaves the address of his lodgings in north London, telling Lucy to contact him if she needs anything. He then informs his German superiors by