Miss Simpson was a member of the council's children's department who was sent to remove the squatting Lawson family from 3 Coronation Street in 1967. Though unable to provide for her sons Ronnie and Clifford, Betty Lawson had kept them out of school as she feared they'd be taken off her and put into care if the council found out they were homeless. Although sympathetic, Ken Barlow felt that they were the council's responsibility and asked Len Fairclough as his local councillor to report them.
The arrival of Miss Simpson, together with Mr Fitch from the health department and Officer Machin, came at the most inopportune moment for the residents of Coronation Street as they were awaiting the judges of the "Best Kept Street" competition, and had given the street a makeover in hopes of winning the £100 prize money. A silent and stern woman, Miss Simpson was referred to as "Greta Garbo" by Ena Sharples when Ena realised who the trio were, having initially mistaken them for the competition judges. The residents could then only stand back helplessly as the Lawsons were forcibly ejected from No.3 and ushered into a car. The fiasco also contributed to Coronation Street losing the "Best Kept Street" competition to Inkerman Street.