Mr Ellison was a health and safety officer who ran checks on Mike Baldwin's "factory" at Jim's Cafe flat in 1990 after receiving an anonymous tip-off about the operation. Mike was trying to get started in the rag trade again and had to put machinists in Alma Sedgewick's flat until he found permanent premises.
After his inspection of the sewing room, Mr Ellison gave Mike a long list of violations, including lack of planning permission, inadequate toilet facilities, poor lighting and ventilation, and wiring not prepared for an industrial load. Mike did his best to bluff his way out of the situation by claiming to be looking at a larger premises and saying that planning permission was in the post, but Mr Ellison wasn't fooled and told him to expect a prohibition order within the week. Mike reluctantly shut up shop immediately and took a job as a sales rep for Peter Ingram. The whistle-blower was later revealed to be Gail Tilsley, Alma's partner at Jim's Cafe who had spent the last few weeks putting up with dust, noise and an absentee business partner and wanted an end to it.
Four months later, when a rumour about Steve McDonald going down with food poisoning after eating at the cafe spread around the community, Mr Ellison paid another visit to the cafe. Ellison made a point of reminding Alma of his earlier visit, but this time no problems were found and the cafe was cleared.