Herbert Cook

Herbert "Herbie" Cook had the cell next to Eddie Yeats in Walton Jail. After release, they next saw each other in July 1979 when Herbie saw Eddie Yeats outside 37 Hillside Crescent when Eddie was insulting Betty Turpin's loft. Scruffy and shaking, Herbie started speaking to Eddie and let him know he'd been in jail again since they were in together and now had no money and nowhere to live, not even enough for a cup of tea. Eddie felt bad for him and invited him in for tea and a chat, but when inside the house Herbie took advantage of being alone while Eddie was in the kitchen to pocket a clock from Betty's mantlepiece. Herbie told Eddie he'd fallen out with his daughter Teresa's husband and been thrown out of their house but Eddie's hospitality only went so far and he told Herbie politely to leave.

When Betty found the clock missing, she tackled Eddie about it but didn't immediately tell the police. Eddie wasn't normally one to grass somebody up but as Betty was a policeman's widow he thought the police would find something to pin on him if Betty talked to them. Eddie then searched for Herbie and found him living rough under a viaduct. Herbie told Eddie but Eddie he'd sold the clock to a bloke in the pub (not that it seemed to have done him much good), but refused to throw himself at a policeman's widow's mercy as he felt another stint in prison would be it for him. Eddie had no choice but to let him go and face Betty himself.